Kurama's Plight
by Kenshin Himura
Summary: When his mother is kidnapped, it's Kurama to the rescue. With this new enemy & his mother present, will he risk revealing his secret? KuramaBotan
1. The Dream and the Promise

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Tibby: This is my first Yu Yu Hakusho fan fiction, so it probably stinks. I haven't seen a whole lot of Yu Yu Hakusho, but I've read a lot. I've even learned from other fan fictions I have read, a lot of them are on my Favorite Stories list. I hope I get this right!

((EDITED: Going back through my older fan fictions and re-wording a few things as well as replacing & symbols with "and." It's a LITTLE better structured, but not up to par with my current writing skill.))

* * *

_"Shuichi, time to wake up!"_

_Kurama opened his eyes and sat up in bed, "That was a nice sleep."_

_Shiori knocked on his bedroom door and opened it slightly. She poked her head in and looked at him with a warm smile, "Rise and shine sleepyhead!"_

_He looked at her and returned the same warm smile, "Good morning."_

_Shiori continued smile, "Good morning Shuichi. I'm about to fix breakfast, so hurry up and get dressed."_

_He nodded and she pulled back out and closed the door. Kurama quickly jumped out of bed and changed out of his pajamas. He pulled up his pants and started to reach for his long sleeved shirt when he heard a scream and loud bumping noises._

_He dashed out and ran to the staircase, pausing at the top temporarily, "Mother?"_

_Shiori was lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs._

_He saw her and leaped the rest of the way down, "Mother!" He knelt down next to her and shook her gently, "Mother, are you okay?"_

_She groans and opens her eyes, slowly turning her gaze to look up at him and became paralyzed from fear._

_Kurama noticed the fear in her eyes and felt alarmed, wondering what would scare her so, "Mother...?"_

_She scrambled away from him and up against a wall, trembling terribly, "Who are you, you monster...!"_

_Kurama's eyes widened in both surprise and confusion, "Monster...?"_

_A mirror seemed to materialize right next to him and he saw his reflection. What gazed back at him was not the warm and friendly Shuichi Minamino, but instead the cold, ruthless thief known as Youko Kurama._

_He winced and slowly faced his mother, "Please don't be afraid of me mother, please. It's me, Shuichi..."_

_He slowly reached out towards her, but she pulled away. This act from her startled Kurama and tore him apart on the inside. He rammed his fist through the mirror and fell onto his elbows and knees._

_He clutched his head and began sobbing, though, no tears streak down his face, "I'm sorry..."_

* * *

Kurama snapped awake and sat up, breathing hard. He glanced around the room and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand, "It was only a dream..."

He caught a scent in the air and smiled, "Smells like mother's making breakfast."

He got out of bed and dressed in his normal attire before quietly making his way downstairs, peeking into the kitchen at his mother. He's relieved to see her doing her normal routine and that she's all right.

She doesn't notice him as he walked up behind her and jumped slightly when he gave her a hug.

He smiled warmly at her, mentally pushing the nightmare away, "Good morning."

She gazed up at him and smiled, "Good morning Shuichi, I was just about to wake you. Breakfast should be ready in about five minutes."

He nodded, smiling a little brighter, "Great, thank you. I look forward to it, as always."

"Oh, can you go out and get the mail?" she asks, returning her attention to cooking.

The red-haired male nodded once again, the smile never leaving, "Yes, of course."

He walked out the door and towards the mailbox, opening the hatch and removing the mail. While rummaging through the envelopes, he sensed a familiar spirit energy while sorting through the mail and smirked, "Hello Hiei."

Hiei also smirked and hopped down off of a nearby wall, "Greetings Kurama, I see that your spirit awareness has improved. I also sense that your spirit energy is getting stronger and it shouldn't be long before you're at full power."

Kurama's smile faltered slightly, "Well, that also means that I'll revert back into my demon form. I can't leave my mother, but at the same time, I can't tell her what I really am."

Hiei scoffed, glaring lightly at the taller male, "You should be proud of your heritage."

Kurama shook his head, "I was, once, but having a mother who cares for me and loves me makes me want to remain a human."

Hiei shook his head as well as a response, but slowly, "You and your human emotions."

Kurama chuckled softly, "Perhaps you're more human than you think Hiei. You have feelings for your sister, Yukina."

Hiei's eyes darted off to the side, "Yes, you do have a point there. Well done ,Kurama. I'll leave you to fetching the mail. Until then, enjoy your time left as a human."

Hiei disappeared in a flash and Kurama slowly walked back towards his house.

Kurama entered and finds the dining room table set for breakfast. He set the mail down on a counter and looked around for Shiori, "Mother?"

Shiori poked her head out of the kitchen and looked at him, "What took you so long to get the mail?"

He scratched the back of his head, smiling oddly, "A friend passed by and we chatted for awhile. I apologize for taking so long."

She smiled brightly, "Not a problem. I'm glad that you have friends that you can talk to."

Kurama blinked, noticing that her smile seemed somewhat pained...

He watched her closely as she set his and her plate down on the table. He saw her wince whenever she moved her right arm, as if it were injured.

They sat down at the table and Kurama glanced around, "Where are Shuichi-chan and Hatanaka?"

"They went off to see a relative," Shiori responded.

Kurama nodded, sighing softly, "I was just wondering where they were because it seems odd not to have them around during a meal."

She nodded and went to grab her fork, wincing at the movement.

Kurama became concerned again, deciding to speak up about it, "What's wrong?"

She looked at him and smiled, "I'm alright. I just fell down while coming down the stairs this morning. My arm just got bruised, that's all."

His eyes widened and he thought back to his dream and how this morning's events are so similar to those in his dream. Well, at least he hadn't transformed in front of his mother and hopefully wouldn't ever have to.

Shiori noticed his panicked expression, "Shuichi...?" When he doesn't respond, she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and she stared at him, extremely concerned, "Are you alright, Shuichi? You zoned out on me there..."

He nodded after a few seconds, "I'm fine, I just have some things on my mind." He kisses her on the cheek and looks at her, smiling warmly, "I'll be fine, don't worry."

She smiled, "You better, because I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. Promise you won't leave me, okay?"

He chuckles and nodded, "I won't if you won't."

She grinned and clapped her hands together once, immediately regretting that she had due to the injury, "Now that that's settled, lets eat!"

Kurama chuckled again, finding his mother humorous.

Shiori put her hands on her hips and looked at him, grinning widely despite the slight throbbing, "What's so funny?"

He smiled innocently, "Nothing,. You just looked hilarious."

She gave him a playful shove using her good arm, "Oh yeah?"

He grinned in return, which made him look somewhat disheveled since he's usually the calm, reverent type, "Yeah."

She shoved him lightly again and Kurama shoved her back, accidentally sending her toppling over.

He froze and looked at her through widened, panicked eyes, "Are you okay?"

She slowly got up, being careful of her injured arm, "I guess that I got off-balanced. Either that or you're getting a lot stronger."

Kurama knelt down next to her and gently helped her up. They take their seats at the table and begin eating quietly. Shiori watched him silently, sensing that he was distraught over something.

He stared down at the table blankly while eating, _'This isn't good...'_ He sighed and sat his chopsticks next to his plate, "I'm going to get some fresh air."

He stood up and Shiori did the same, starting to gather up the dishes. Kurama placed a comforting hand on one of his mother's shoulders, "I'll clean up, it's the least I can do for a wonderful breakfast."

Taking the dishes from her, he walked into the kitchen and got to work on cleaning. She appeared in the doorway and watched him silently. She gazed down at the charm bracelet fastened on her wrist and ran her thumb over one of the charms, which was a silver fox. Shiori also fingered the rose charm before unfastening the bracelet.

She looked at Kurama and smiled, "Shuichi."

He paused and looked over at her, curious, "What is it mother?"

She walked up to him and lifted one of his hands, "It's about time that I passed this bracelet on to you Shuichi..."

She began fastening it onto his wrist and his eyes widened, "But you loved this bracelet!"

She finished and smiled warmly up at him, "It's alright, besides, you've always been fond of this bracelet since you were little. This bracelet was given to me when I was around your age. My mother gave it to me for my sweet 16th birthday. I had always liked foxes, which is why she got the bracelet for me."

He stared down at the bracelet, shocked to finally own something he had been admiring for so long. He snapped out of it when she pulls him into a motherly embrace. He closes his eyes and rested his chin upon her head. He hugged her tightly in return, but made sure to keep his demonic strength in check.

Kurama realized at that moment that this could possibly be the last hug he'll get from his mother. This could be his last day as a human, and the last day that his mother will love him.

Kurama furrowed his brows and opened his eyes slightly, "I love you, mother..."

She nodded and pulled away, smiling, "I love you too, Shuichi. Now, go on your walk."

Kurama smiled, "Thank you." He walked towards the door and glanced back at Shiori, who has busied herself with something. "I'll miss you when I leave indefinitely..." he whispered, frowning. He reluctantly walked out and closed the door behind him.

Kurama decided to maybe discuss things with Yusuke, "It might actually help to talk to that goof."

He makes his way towards Yusuke's house, hoping to maybe get some weight lifted off of his shoulders.


	2. Abduction

K.H.: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. This chapter is more for suspense than "fluff stuff." It also has some drunken humor provided by Yusuke's mother. As us Louisianians would say, Bon Appetit!

* * *

Kurama arrives at Yusuke's house & knocks on the door.  
  
Atsuko answers the door & looks at Kurama. She grins awkwardly & Kurama immediately realizes that she's been drinking, and heavily at that.  
  
She continues grinning, "Lookin' for Yusuke aren't ya?"  
  
Kurama nods & wrinkles his nose at the smell of alcohol in her breath, "Uh, yes ma'am."  
  
"YUSUKE!" she shouts.  
  
Yusuke pops his head out of his bedroom door, "No need to shout, I don't live in the next city..."  
  
He walks out of his bedroom & notices beer bottles strewn about.  
  
"You've been drinking again, now why doesn't that surprise me?" he says while walking towards the front door.  
  
She snorts & goes back to watching television again.  
  
Yusuke slowly shakes his head & looks at Kurama, "Hey Kurama, what's up?"  
  
Kurama smiles lightly, "I just wanted to discuss something with you. Are you busy?"  
  
Yusuke rolls his eyes a bit, "I'm so busy, I'm bored to death. I was just busy counting how many times the blades on my fan rotated."  
  
Kurama chuckles, "Sounds like fun, I didn't know you could count."  
  
Yusuke cocks an eyebrow, "Since when did you have a sense of humor wise guy?"  
  
Kurama scratches the back of his head & shrugs, "No clue, but anyway, do you mind if we take a walk?"  
  
Yusuke smiles, "Sure, it beats staying around here with a woman that has enough alcohol in her system to supply a beer plant for weeks."  
  
He glances back at his mother, "Mom, I'm going out for awhile!"  
  
She apparently doesn't hear him, or if she did, she shows no signs of it.  
  
He slaps his forehead, "Let's just go."  
  
He walks out & shuts the door behind him.  
  
Yusuke shoves his hands inside of his pockets as they begin walking, "So, what did you want to talk to me about Kurama?"  
  
Kurama sighs & looks over at Yusuke, "Have you noticed anything odd about my spirit energy lately?"  
  
Yusuke looks down at the sidewalk while walking, "It seems to be growing, and very quickly too."  
  
Kurama nods, "It won't be long until I assume my full demon form, probably tonight."  
  
Yusuke nods, "This time for keeps I take it..."  
  
Kurama nods & sighs, "But what if my mother rejects me? I had a nightmare last night that I had transformed into my demon form & my mother was scared of me. I saw the look of pure terror in her eyes & it hurt... it hurt a lot...."  
  
Yusuke glances over at him & sees a silent tear streak down the red haired teen's cheek.  
  
He frowns, "You're really hung up on this aren't you?"  
  
Kurama nods again & wipes the tear away, "Yeah, it's just that I don't want to abandon my mother. But I have a feeling that she'll abandon me if she finds out the truth. I mean, who would want to have a demon as a son?"  
  
Yusuke puts a comforting hand on Kurama's shoulder & smiles, "Don't worry so much, I'm sure that everything'll turn out fine. Now, why don't we play some games at the arcade? Kuwabara is probably there & maybe seeing me beat him at a couple games & the expression on his face will cheer you up. If that doesn't get your mind off things, then Kuwabara & I will most likely get into a one-sided game of wits."  
  
He grins, "Then again, it's not fair to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed idiot."  
  
Kurama smiles, "If I recall, you didn't get much of a higher score on your exams. Kuwabara got a 7, and wasn't your score a 12?"  
  
Yusuke grumbles, "Let's just get to the arcade."  
  
They arrive at the arcade & walk inside to see Kuwabara enthusiastically participating in a racing game. His lackies are crowded around him, watching him occasionally crash into trees, rocks, and even other cars.  
  
"Kuwabara, I think that you're supposed to drive around the cars, not through 'em."  
  
Kuwabara whirls around & sees both Yusuke & Kurama, "Urameshi?! Kurama?!"  
  
Yusuke grins, "Hiya lunkhead!"  
  
Kurama smiles, "Hello Kuwabara."  
  
Kuwabara grins like an idiot, "Who wants to take me on?"  
  
Kurama takes a step back & shakes his head, smiling, "No thank you, racing's not exactly my thing."  
  
Yusuke takes a step forward & points to himself with his thumb, smirking, "I'll take you on!"  
  
Yusuke hops into the chair next to Kuwabara & they glare at each other, fingering a quarter, "3... 2... 1... GO!!!"  
  
They insert their quarters, choose their cars, and go at it.  
  
Kurama watches them while leaning on a nearby wall with his arms folded. He senses something & jerks his head towards where the feeling is the strongest.  
  
He narrows his eyes slightly, "Something's amiss..."  
  
As soon as the words left his mouth, the whole world seems to stop with the exception of Yusuke, Kuwabara, and himself.  
  
Koenma's head fades into view above them, "A new case popped up!"  
  
Yusuke scowls, "I don't have time for you right now 'toddler'."  
  
Koenma glares at Yusuke, "If only I had a large mallet & some time on my hands, I'd flog you good. But there's no time for rude jokes Yusuke, Botan will fill you in."  
  
Koenma disappears & Botan materializes in the air next to Kurama, riding her oar, "Listen carefully- a demon has been detected in this city & he wants to fight you Kurama."  
  
Kurama looks at her, "I refuse to fight him."  
  
Her expression softens & she becomes sympathetic, "He has your mother..."

* * *

K.H.: Talk about your everyday cliffhangers. I hope you liked the humor I put into this chapter. I liked the "it's not fair to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed idiot." Though, I'll admit, Kurama seems a bit OOC (Out Of Character) in this chapter with his teasing of Yusuke. And to those of you that don't know what 'flog' means, it means to beat with a stick (according to my dictionary). ANYWAY... the next chapter includes some of the more 'juicy' parts, so don't ya miss it. Be there or be square as some would say. 


	3. Sacrifices

K.H.: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do, however, own the characters I make up so there! ;P In the last chapter, Kurama & Yusuke did a lot of talking, mainly about what might happen if Kurama became a demon again. They went to the arcade to hopefully have a good time, but then received another case. This one will be big since the demon that wants to fight Kurama, has taken his mother hostage. There was some humor, but the action starts now.

* * *

Kurama's eyes widen & his pupil's shrink, "He does???"  
  
Botan nods, "I'm afraid he does. He took your mother so you would be forced to fight. If you turn down his request, then he will either torture her until you do, or kill her."  
  
"Who is this demon?" Yusuke asks sternly.  
  
"His name's Buchiru & he's supposedly a powerful demon. Your human form won't cut it this time Kurama."  
  
Kurama gives a small nod & sighs, "Well, my mother's life is first priority."  
  
Botan looks at him, "You might want to transform now while you have the chance."  
  
He looks at her, sighs, and nods again, "Alright."  
  
He slowly transforms into his demon form & towers over everyone after he finishes.  
  
Yusuke looks up at him, "You look a lot taller up close...-!"  
  
"Enough idle chitchat, we have a rescue mission," Youko Kurama snaps.  
  
He looks at Botan, "Take us to Buchiru, Botan."  
  
Botan nods & transports them all to a different realm.  
  
They stand before a large, dark castle while an electric storm goes on.  
  
Yusuke rolls his eyes, "Figures, our enemies always live in large, creepy castles with a thunderstorm going on. How original can a person be?"  
  
Kuwabara's eyes travel up the castle, "I wonder if this Buchiru guy is compensating for something small."  
  
He glances over at Yusuke, grinning evilly, "Whaddya think Urameshi?"  
  
Yusuke laughs, "Could be!"  
  
Kurama shoots them a glare & they immediately stop.  
  
Botan scoffs, "Cut out the antics you two! This is serious!"  
  
They scratch the back of their heads & smile nervously, "Sorry..."  
  
Kurama's eyes widen slightly, "It seems that we have company."  
  
A large group of zombie-like creatures are guarding the entrance.  
  
Kurama narrows his eyes & holds his palm out towards the zombies, "GET OUT OF OUR WAY!"  
  
He summons a great amount of energy & blasts them. When the smoke clears, all that's left are body parts.  
  
Yusuke & Kuwabara's mouths drop open.  
  
Botan claps her hands, "Great job Kurama! You really toasted those monsters!"  
  
Yusuke blinks, regaining some of his composture, "I didn't even know that he could do that..."  
  
Kuwabara looks just as dumb (if not dumber), "Me neither..."  
  
Kurama suddenly dashes into the castle & everyone takes off after him, "Wait up!"  
  
He begins his way up a staircase when more zombie-like creatures stop him.  
  
At this time, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and now Hiei have caught up with him.  
  
Yusuke steps up next to Kurama, looks at him, and gives him a thumbs-up, "We'll take care of these goons while you go rescue your mother. Now that Hiei has shown up, we shouldn't have much of a problem."  
  
Kurama nods & a small smile forms, "Thanks."  
  
"We need to get moving Kurama!" Botan shouts while hovering next to him.  
  
He nods & grabs onto the end of her oar. She flies them over the monsters & up the staircase.  
  
He looks up at her, "Hey, thanks for the lift Botan."  
  
She smiles, "No problem, I'm glad to know that I'm good for something around here."  
  
They arrive at a room that is dimly lit by torches & Botan begins descending towards the ground.  
  
Kurama's fox ears begin twitching as he glances around, "It's too quiet..."  
  
At that second, Kurama senses a surge of spirit energy & an orb of electricity speeding towards them.  
  
His eyes widen, "Botan! Look out!"  
  
She doesn't react in time & is hit by the electrical attack.  
  
Kurama drops to the ground & safely lands on his feet.  
  
He looks up at the smoke resulting from the attack for any sign of his perky friend, "Botan!"  
  
She falls out of the smoke cloud, her pink kimono in tatters.  
  
Kurama runs, leaps up into the air, and catches her.  
  
He lands & then looks at her, "Botan? Are you alright?"  
  
Botan stirs slightly & opens her eyes a little, "I'm ok... just beat Buchiru...."  
  
She falls unconscious & he sets her limp body down gently, "Just stay alive Botan. Yusuke would never forgive me if I let you die & I wouldn't forgive myself if that happens either...."  
  
He stands up fully & glares into the darkness, "Show yourself you coward."  
  
"How could one that feeds on fear be the coward?"  
  
A figure steps out of the darkness & Kurama clenches his fists, "Where's my mother? If you've harmed her in any way, God help you..."  
  
Buchiru chuckles darkly, "She's still alive, why don't you see for yourself?"  
  
He snaps his fingers & two torches light up on either side of Shiori. She's been tied up with a rope & hung from the ceiling. She also has been gagged to prevent her from screaming.  
  
Shiori raises her head & looks at Kurama. Fear appears in her eyes & Kurama's ears droop from the pain he feels in his heart.  
  
Buchiru chuckles darkly again, "I told her your little secret Kurama, or should I say 'Shuichi'?"  
  
Kurama stares at his mother sadly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself. I was just afraid... afraid that you would reject me. I would never hurt you or any member of our family. Please don't be afraid of me..."  
  
Buchiru laughs, "I also told her that you took advantage of her until you gained all of your power back. To top it all off, I revealed to her that you were a cunning thief & killed people out of sheer pleasure."  
  
Kurama tears his eyes away from his mother & glares at Buchiru, "I've paid for all of the crimes I've committed. But how DARE you accuse me for taking life from innocent people? And how DARE you kidnap my mother & lie through your teeth???"  
  
He pulls out a rose, "Rose Whip!"  
  
The rose lengthens into a whip covered with sharp thorns. He runs at Buchiru & begins slashing at him with his whip in a swift & graceful manner.  
  
Buchiru dodges each one & manages to grab onto the whip, drawing some blood. He pulls Kurama to him & punches him in the stomach before the fox demon could react.  
  
Kurama goes flying through the air, but flips & lands on his feet.  
  
He pants & wipes the blood dripping from his mouth away with the back of his hand, "He's fast... and fairly strong. This may take awhile..."  
  
Shiori struggles against her bindings & feels something in her pocket. She pulls it out & it turns out to be a knife that she had been using before getting abducted. She begins sawing at the ropes, limited to how much she can move (being only able to move her wrists).  
  
Kurama & Buchiru exchange blows with each other.  
  
Kurama summons some plants to attack Buchiru, but Buchiru just sends a fireball, which destroys them.  
  
Buchiru smirks, "I'm elemental, I will always have an advantage over you."  
  
He summons the power of wind & creates a strong gale, which sends Kurama slamming into a wall.  
  
Before he is able to recover, the elemental demon hits him with a powerful orb of electricity. Kurama yells out in pain as the electricity courses through him.  
  
Buchiru laughs, "Painful huh? I'll put you out of your misery with this final attack."  
  
He holds his hand up & charges up an even stronger orb of electricity.  
  
Kurama winces & shuts his eyes tightly, "This is it, I'm sorry mother... sorry that I couldn't save you & that your son is a monster...."  
  
Buchiru launches the attack & everything seems to go in slow motion. Right before the attack would've struck Kurama, Shiori dives in front of him.  
  
Buchiru takes a step back, "What???"  
  
Kurama opens his eyes just in time to see his mother take the attack for him.  
  
She seems to hover in the air for a moment as the electricity courses through her. She falls to her knees & then falls facedown on the stone floor.  
  
He gasps as he looks at her motionless body, "Mom?!" He crawls over to her & turns her to where she's face up. The fox demon shakes her gently, "If you can hear me, say something."  
  
Shiori stirs & opens her eyes to Kurama's golden ones. She smiles weakly, reaches up, and cradles his cheek in her hand.  
  
He slowly places his hand over hers & closes his eyes, feeling some comfort from his mother's touch.  
  
Shiori continues to smile, "It's ok Kurama... I forgive you for not telling me. I was terrified... when I first saw you, but then I realized... that you were still the same on the inside. I couldn't let that demon finish you off, even if it would finish me off instead...."  
  
He opens his eyes & looks at her, "You're going to be ok right?"  
  
She shakes her head, "I don't think I'll make it this time unless by some miracle... but then again... my life's been full of them...."  
  
Kurama's eyes widen slightly & tears begin to slowly well up in them, "I should've been able to save you, I'm sorry...-"  
  
Their mother-son moment is ruined when Buchiru blasts the floor about a foot away.  
  
Buchiru smirks & lets out a fake yawn, "Enough with the sap-crap, I would like to destroy you within the next millennium. But then again, your mother wouldn't even last that long at full health, would she?"  
  
Kurama stands up slowly, keeping his eyes hidden in shadows. He lifts his head up & glares at Buchiru with a glare so intense, it's basically saying: 'Say your prayers you bastard, you're dead.'  
  
Buchiru actually winces under Kurama's harsh glare.  
  
Tears begin streaking down Kurama's face, though those were the last of them, "I will not forgive you for what you've done! You've cost my mother pain & most likely her life as well!"  
  
He clenches his fists & snarls, "You better hope that Koenma sends you to Hell when I kill you or I'll find you & finish you off."

* * *

K.H.: Whoa! A lot of language in the last few paragraphs! O.O Actually, just 2 words unless you consider 'H-e-double hockey sticks' a bad word. Hopefully you readers aren't TOO religious! Anyway, time for the next summary/pep talk that gets readers interested. Next time: Kurama & Buchiru continue their fight, but at a different magnitude. It's all or nothing for Kurama. If he wins, then his mother along with his friends are safe. If he loses... him & his mother will perish at once with Yusuke & his gang not too far behind. But then again, whenever have you heard of a bad guy winning? Don't want to spoil it too much for you peeps, so move on to the next chapter. 


	4. End of Buchiru & the Rejection

K.H.: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho nor will I ever unless by some miracle. Yay! The Dark Tournament saga started yesterday on Cartoon Network! I'll finally get to see Youko Kurama in action! *huggles a Youko Kurama plushie* Can't tell I'm excited, can ya? ~_^ * also huggles a Hiei plushie* I'm content right here with my 2 plushies, just go ahead & read. ^.^  
  
Plushies: *scream* Help!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
(Recap) Kurama clenches his fists & snarls, "You better hope that Koenma sends you to Hell when I kill you or I'll find you & finish you off." (End of Recap)  
  
Buchiru growls, "Mighty words, but can you back them up?"  
  
Kurama disappears & reappears behind Buchiru, holding him in a headlock, "Now, what were you saying about me not being able to back up my words?"  
  
Buchiru glares back at him, using only his eyes since Kurama has him trapped in a headlock.  
  
Kurama smirks & looks at Buchiru with cold eyes, "What are you going to do now?"  
  
Buchiru also smirks to Kurama's surprise, "Your mother isn't dead just yet, but I can fix that if you won't back off."  
  
Kurama bares his teeth, "You wouldn't dare!"  
  
Buchiru holds out his palm, facing Shiori, "I would indeed go through with it."  
  
Kurama snarls & thrusts Buchiru to the side. He leaps through the air & lands in front of his mother protectively.  
  
Buchiru stands back up, smirking, "This is getting nowhere, but I've got an idea. Let's concentrate all of our spirit power into one blast. Whoever's weaker shall be annihilated & the stronger of us will survive. How about it?"  
  
"Whatever the risk, I shall take it. It would be a pleasure to beat you," Kurama responds coldly.  
  
Buchiru grins, "You're starting to become more & more like a true demon every minute. You've started becoming cold, that's how a demon's supposed to feel."  
  
Kurama narrows his eyes, "I'm not planning to stay like this, I can't give love or feel love in this form. I despise being a demon, being feared... hated..."  
  
He pauses for a moment as he contemplates what he has just said before glaring at Buchiru once more, "Let's just fight."  
  
Buchiru grins again, "Alright then! Start gathering all of your spirit energy now."  
  
Kurama begins gathering all of his spirit energy as well as Buchiru. Blue auras form around them as their power increases.  
  
Buchiru holds up 5 fingers, "Ok, in exactly 5 seconds, we start."  
  
Five seconds begin to slowly tick off until the spirit energy duel. Kurama's heartbeat quickens as the tension steadily grows. One second left and... they begin!  
  
Energy rushes forth from each of their bodies & collide with each other. It goes back & forth as each demon tries to overpower the other.  
  
Kurama winces while relinquishing all of his energy, ~It's all or nothing... I can't lose...~  
  
Kurama's energy weakens & Buchiru's energy slowly edges towards him.  
  
The fox demon's eyes widen, "No..."  
  
Buchiru laughs, "It won't be much longer now, you will die along with your mother since you made the mistake of standing in front of her. And it's only a matter of time before I destroy your friends as well!"  
  
Kurama glances back at his mother & Botan, "I've let them down..."  
  
Botan stirs & opens her eyes a little.  
  
She slowly & shakily gets up onto her hands & knees, "Ouch... it feels like I was hit by a bus...."  
  
At that moment, she looks over & sees the struggle going on between Kurama & Buchiru.  
  
She gasps, "What a battle!"  
  
She looks at Kurama, "He needs help, only a miracle can save him now. C'mon Kurama..."  
  
Hiei senses Kurama's plight & glances over at the others, who are finishing off some ogres & other creatures, "We need to make haste, Kurama's life hangs in the balance."  
  
Yusuke snorts, "I kind of guessed that since Kurama had to transform into his demon form to take Buchiru on & I could sense it too."  
  
Hiei glances at him, "Yusuke, for a dumbass, you sure have a smart mouth."  
  
Yusuke growls, "You're lucky that we're in a hurry..."  
  
Kuwabara laughs, "That was a good one!"  
  
Hiei glances over at Kuwabara, "That goes double for you, except there's nothing smart about you."  
  
Kuwabara picks Hiei up off of the ground by the front of his collar & glares at him, "Hey, that wasn't too nice half-pint!"  
  
Yusuke sighs, "Knock it off you two, especially you with the wise cracks Hiei. We need to go find Kurama."  
  
Kuwabara nods, drops Hiei, and all three of them dash up the staircase as fast as their legs will carry them.  
  
Kurama narrows his eyes, "If I don't do something soon, I'll have let everyone down. I just... can't let it end like this. I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!"  
  
He bares his demonic fangs & his eyes begin glowing an eerie blue. The floor cracks around him as his power level skyrockets to unheard of levels. His blast steadily gains power as well & begins pushing Buchiru's blast back.  
  
Buchiru's eyes widen, "I'm getting beaten by a fox demon?"  
  
Botan watches Kurama, "Wow... it seems that Kurama's desperation... and anger triggered this transformation."  
  
She notices Shiori & begins crawling over towards her, "Ow... I still haven't recovered fully from that attack...."  
  
Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei arrive at the entrance & stop in their tracks when they see the fight between the 2 demons.  
  
"Look at the light show!" Kuwabara exclaims.  
  
Yusuke glances over at Kurama & his eyes widen, "Screw the light show, check out Kurama!"  
  
Hiei's eyes shift to Kurama, "If he keeps this up, he'll claim victory over Buchiru."  
  
Yusuke studies Kurama & blinks, "But isn't he using his life force energy?"  
  
Hiei shakes his head, "It's hard to tell, but I sense that he's somehow tapped into a hidden power reservoir. Very few demons can accomplish what Kurama has just done since demons typically have no feelings for anyone or anything."  
  
Yusuke looks over at Hiei, "So, if someone threatened to kill your sister or you were in a similar situation as Kurama, you could tap into that power?"  
  
Hiei gives a slight nod, "Most likely."  
  
Kurama yells & takes a step forward towards Buchiru. His eyes are still glowing a bright blue & he glares at Buchiru with his teeth bared.  
  
Yusuke blinks, "Geez, Kurama seems almost evil. He doesn't look anything like the Kurama we know, or even the Youko Kurama we know."  
  
Kuwabara takes a step back, "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's like Kurama isn't even in there..."  
  
Hiei observes Kurama, "He's having difficulty controlling all of that power. He's struggling to maintain who he is & remember what he's fighting for. His memories of his family are the only things that's keeping him from losing full control."  
  
Kurama smirks evilly, "Ready to get your one-way ticket to the depths of Hell?"  
  
Buchiru bites his lip, but says nothing.  
  
Meanwhile, Botan holds her hands a few inches above Shiori's body & begins donating some of her energy. She starts to feel incredibly weak as she transfers more of her own energy into Shiori.  
  
Shiori stirs slightly before slowly opening her eyes, "Wh... what happened?"  
  
Botan smiles softly, "You were injured while saving your son from a powerful blast that could've finished him off."  
  
Shiori's eyes widen slightly, "Where is he? Is he ok?"  
  
Botan helps her sit up & she sees Kurama standing a few feet away from them.  
  
She looks up at his face & a chill goes down her spine, "That's not my son... it couldn't be. The Shuichi I know is a kindhearted person, he wouldn't look evil like this... monster."  
  
Kurama continues to smirk, "Your evil ends here."  
  
He lets out a shout & his energy blast overcomes Buchiru & annihilates him fully, ending his reign of evil. Kurama stares into the smoke for a moment before turning to find Shiori awake along with Botan.  
  
His eyes stop glowing as he looks at his mother, "Mom, you're alright..."  
  
He takes a step towards Shiori, but she scoots back away from him. He looks at Botan for an explanation, but she just frowns & bows her head.  
  
Kurama's shoulders slouch down & his fox ears flatten down against his head.  
  
He turns back around, "I'm sorry that you had to witness such brutality... I couldn't really control what I was doing because my anger towards that demon consumed me. I was furious with him for kidnapping you & bringing you into this mess. I know you are either scared of me, or hate me now after witnessing all that I've done. I'm also sorry that I've deceived you for so long by being your son when I'm actually a demon over 500 years old. But even though I'm a demon that used to be cold, you changed me with all of the love you had shown me. I don't deserve your love, though I can't live without it. I still love you, Shuichi, and my stepfather & I would never do anything to harm any of you."  
  
He swallows a lump in his throat as tears well up in his eyes & Botan's expression softens, "Kurama..."  
  
He glances down at the charm bracelet that Shiori had given him just that morning. Tears begin streaming down his face as he unlatches it & removes it from his wrist. He turns back around & looks at his mother.  
  
He walks over to Botan & hands it to her.  
  
"Give it to my mother," He swallows another lump in his throat as new tears streak down his face, "after I leave..."  
  
Botan looks at him with a startled expression, "You're leaving?"  
  
He nods slowly, "I can't bear to see my mother's frightened expression anymore, it hurts..."  
  
Shiori watches them & tears begin welling up in Botan's eyes.  
  
He stares at Botan for a moment longer before looking over at his mother, "Goodbye... Shiori...."  
  
He turns & runs out with tears running down his face.  
  
Yusuke bows his head down, "That was extremely hard to watch... and to have one of our own team gone just like that."  
  
Hiei turns & begins walking away.  
  
Yusuke glances back at him, "Hey, where are you going?"  
  
"Away, I have some things to sort out," Hiei replies stiffly before disappearing.  
  
"Man, I feel bad for Kurama," Kuwabara states, catching Yusuke's attention.  
  
Yusuke watches Botan & Shiori, "Yeah, me too. He was scared that she would reject him if she knew that he was a demon. Looks like he was right... lets go check on Botan & get out of here."  
  
Kuwabara nods & they walk towards the two women.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
K.H.: Aw... poor Kurama. Will things turn out better for him? And what's with Hiei? This was a sad/sappy & action-packed chapter. I think I went by things too fast though. ^^* I advise you all to read "Youko Secrets" by Mystic Dragon. It's a story for Kurama lovers & people who love angst/drama type fan fictions. It's another fanfic about Kurama being afraid of his family finding out about his secret & it includes action, suspense, humor (Yusuke-goodness), and drama all wrapped up in one, neat little package. Mystic Dragon is an experienced writer (unlike me *pout*) and she can make you think. Ok, lets move onto the next chapter, shall we? 


	5. Love Blossoms

K.H.: Welcome to Chapter Five of my Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic! Before I have the chance to get sued, I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any other anime except the manga I'm creating now. I own that much at least. -.-* Can't wait for today's episode of Yu Yu Hakusho! ^o^ It's got our favorite little fox demon fighting in the Dark Tournament & NO I'm not talking about Shippou from the show Inuyasha. *huggles her Hiei & Youko Kurama plushies* If only the characters were real, bet all of you have wished that one time or another for some show! ^_^  
  
Plushies: 0o*  
  
Youko Kurama plush: "We went from powerful demons..."  
  
Hiei Plush: "... to an obsessive writer's plush toys."  
  
Plushies: *sweat drop* "What a life we live!" *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It had already been a week since Kurama's disappearance. Life was back to normal for the Spirit Detectives, or at least as normal as it could be without everyone's favorite fox demon. Yusuke, Botan, and even Kuwabara seemed a lot quieter than usual. Hiei had also been scarce since then, only dropping by to prove that he wasn't dead... yet (Haha, dry humor).  
  
A brand new day for brand new adventures has started and both Yusuke & Kuwabara are trekking down one of the city sidewalks.  
  
Yusuke sighs & walks with his hands behind his head, "It's only a matter of time before Koenma sends us on another case."  
  
Kuwabara nods & glances off to the side, "Seems like things are falling apart with Kurama gone. Even Botan's not her usual cheerful self."  
  
As if on cue, Botan appears next to them, riding her magic oar.  
  
Yusuke cocks an eyebrow, "Lemme guess, Koenma has another case for us."  
  
She shakes her head, "No, it's actually more like a case for me. Kurama's mother, Shiori, hasn't been doing too well this week. She's rarely gotten out of bed & hasn't eaten. It seems that she's grief-stricken over losing Kurama. If something doesn't happen soon, she'll die."  
  
"So, I take it that you're going to search for Kurama?" Yusuke asks.  
  
Botan nods, "Bingo, Shiori's life depends on it."  
  
He smiles & gives her a thumbs-up, "Wish ya luck Botan."  
  
Kuwabara smiles, "Yeah, good luck."  
  
Botan gives them an acknowledging nod, smiling a little, "See you two later."  
  
She flies up into the air & slowly fades away.  
  
Botan fades back into view above a forest in the Makai World. The forest is said to be filled with dangerous demons & thieves. Botan descends into the forest & flies through it, dodging trees & their branches. She glances around for any sign of her fox demon friend, but doesn't spot him. She calls out his name, but instead, gets a response that she wasn't expecting.  
  
A demon leaps off of a tree branch & tackles her off of her oar.  
  
She tumbles across the ground & slams into a tree trunk, "Oof!"  
  
Two more demons emerge from nearby bushes & all three surround her.  
  
"Mmm... fresh meat!" one exclaims.  
  
"Delicious! Let's eat her!" another shouts, licking his lips afterward.  
  
They begin advancing on her & she shuts her eyes. She opens her eyes a moment later when nothing happens. Botan gasps when she sees a familiar figure standing in front of her with his back to her.  
  
Youko Kurama stands between her & the ravenous demons in a fighting stance, his claws flashed & his fangs bared.  
  
The demons slowly back off before turning & fleeing.  
  
He turns & extends a hand down to help her up, "You alright? What are you doing out here Botan?"  
  
She accepts his hand & he pulls her up.  
  
She begins dusting off her pink kimono, "One question at a time my dear Kurama. Yes, I'm fine only because you came in the nick of time."  
  
He nods, "It's all about intimidation around here. But anyway, what brings you out here?"  
  
She sighs, "You need to return to the human world."  
  
He slowly shakes his head, "I have nothing to go back to, not anymore..."  
  
"Yes you do," she responds, "you have to go back to your human mother."  
  
He stares down at the ground with a disheartened expression, "But she's frightened of me, I saw it in her eyes when I went towards her."  
  
Botan nods, "Yeah, but it seems that she's not anymore. Your mother seemed to have realized something after you left. She hasn't really eaten for a week & her health isn't as good as it should be. She's been crying a lot & bed-ridden. She'll die if you don't go back."  
  
He begins staring blankly into the distance with his back to her, "Are you sure...?"  
  
She nods again, "I've heard her mumble in her sleep some disturbing things, she's worried about you & misses you. And this, I'm afraid, is only part of the dilemma. Your little brother isn't doing too well either."  
  
Kurama turns back around & looks at her, "Is he ok?"  
  
She shakes her head, "He's in bad condition like your mother, if not worse. He hasn't eaten, he's been crying quite a bit... I haven't seen him smile the slightest bit even once. He's lost the brightness in his eyes that is apparent in most children's eyes his age."  
  
She pauses & shakes her head, "It's actually really sad, some kids at his school have taken advantage of this & beat up on him. Yusuke managed to save him a few times from kids ambushing him outside of school. Everything seemed to have fallen apart in your family after you left... so... will you come back with me?"  
  
He stares up at the sky for what seems like hours before looking back at Botan, "Yes, take me back Botan."  
  
Botan smiles brightly for the first time in quite awhile, runs up, and throws her arms around him, "Good! Its been dull around the Spirit World & the Human World without you, my dear Youko Kurama."  
  
He's startled by her sudden action, and his cheeks turn a light red.  
  
Botan conjures up her oar & hops on, "Exactly like before, if that's alright with you."  
  
He nods & grabs onto the back of the oar.  
  
She flies up above the trees & into the sky.  
  
Kurama glances down at the forest & is glad to be leaving, but, at the same time, fearing the reaction from his family. They slowly disappear from the Makai world & travel to the human world.  
  
When they arrive there, the sky is dark & the stars are twinkling.  
  
Kurama blinks, "It's night out."  
  
Botan nods, "I arranged it this way so that there's less risk of anyone besides family & friends spotting you."  
  
She begins flying in the direction of his house & passes over Yusuke's house.  
  
Kurama glances down & blinks when he sees Yusuke looking up at them from his bedroom window.  
  
Yusuke smiles, winks, and gives him a thumbs-up.  
  
Kurama smiles slightly & returns the gesture.  
  
Next, they fly over Kuwabara's home. Kuwabara & his sister, Shizuru, are standing on the doorstep out front. The two look up at them, smile, and greet them with a wave.  
  
Botan grins & waves back while Kurama acknowledges them with a nod.  
  
They begin descending as they near the Minamino residence.  
  
Kurama lets go & drops when they're a few feet above the ground & Botan lands next to him.  
  
He looks towards his familiar, yet unfamiliar home & sighs, "Well, the moment of truth approaches..."  
  
Botan smiles, "You'll do just fine Kurama, just put on some of that ole' charm & be yourself."  
  
Kurama looks at her & smiles, despite the serious situation, "That's just like you, always perky, even when tension's thick in the air. You're quite the optimist, Botan."  
  
She blushes a bit & smiles brightly, "It's a personality defect of mine I suppose, but at least I'm not like that stupid fox girl Koto at the Dark Tournament. But anyway, I wish you the best of luck & I'll be waiting for you if things get a little ugly. So, you're not alone in this..."  
  
He puts his hands on her shoulders & stares deep into her eyes, smiling, "Thank you for everything Botan, you've been a great help to me in more ways than you might know. And if that constant optimism is a personality defect of yours, don't ever change it ok? I love you just the way you are, which means a lot coming from a demon that at one time, didn't have any feelings for anyone or anything. You're very special Botan...."  
  
He leans down & gently kisses her on the cheek.  
  
A chill goes down her spine & her cheeks turn a rosy color.  
  
He stops & slowly pulls away, "I'm going now, wish me luck."  
  
He walks towards the front door & Botan stares at him, still blushing, "Good luck..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* K.H.: Hehe, things are getting fun! ^_^ *is all giddy* I haven't even started writing the next chapter as of now, so it might not continue for about a month. Depends on how many writer's blocks I get & how often I am able to get on the computer to type it. Thanks for the reviews & for all that wanted Botan & Kurama to be a couple, it looks like it will happen. But as of now, I'm not sure how this fic will turn out, which is hilarious since I'm the author. This is a one of a kind ficcie, only because Shiori rejected Kurama while in most fics, she accepts Kurama. But will she accept him this time? And will the rest of his family accept him? There will probably be some brother fluff since I think it would be cute. Oh, and since I just saw Youko Kurama on television & talked with my friends, I learned that Youko Kurama is cold & cruel, unlike how he is in my fic. To fix this problem, I will mention a little something in the next one or two chapters to help 'explain' why he acts like the human Kurama. Just read the next chapter when it comes out & leave my feeble, screwed up mind alone! 0o* 


	6. Trials of Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. *sigh*  
  
K.H.: Hehe, whee! Youko Kurama was cool on TV. I was waiting for the longest time to see episodes with Youko in it & I went totally ballistic! There was also some Yusuke-Puu cuteness. *turns blue in the face* Gotta... breathe... gotta... *falls down onto the floor & twitches* O.O* *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As Kurama nears the front door, his stomach begins doing flips & his heartbeat quickens. He stops in front of the door & swallows a lump in his throat, "This is it..."  
  
He hesitantly knocks on the door & hears shuffling inside with his sensitive fox ears. Kurama takes a deep breath just as the door opens, revealing a very sickly Shiori.  
  
She stares at him in disbelief, unable to catch a breath, "I can't believe it... you came back..."  
  
Hatanaka appears in the stairway, "Who's at the do-..."  
  
His eyes widen when he sees Kurama & Shiori looks back at him, "It's alright, it's only Shuichi, or at least he was."  
  
She looks back at her 'son', her eyes showing warmth, "Come in."  
  
He smiles slightly, the nervousness slowly disappearing, "Thank you."  
  
He walks in & Shiori closes the door after him.  
  
They walk into the living room & Shiori looks over at Kurama, "You can go ahead & take a seat while I fix us all a little snack."  
  
Hatanaka takes a step forward, "Maybe I should, you need to rest... you should take it easy...."  
  
She smiles, which surprises Hatanaka, "Don't worry, my strength seems to be returning little by little."  
  
Hatanaka acknowledges her with a nod, "Then I'll go check on little Shuichi."  
  
Kurama watches as his human stepfather disappears upstairs before taking a seat on the couch. He watches his human mother as she walks into the kitchen.  
  
The kitsune youkai looks down at the floor with a stern expression, ~I hope that she'll be alright. I don't want to have come back only to see my mother or little Shuichi die because of something I did. I remember how devastated I was when Kuronue died... but it would pale in comparison to the pain I would feel to lose the only family I've ever had... and came to love....~  
  
He closes his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again & looks at his clawed hands, ~I can't believe what happened, a demon & a human became one & will forever be one, or so it seems. My mind, forever in Youko's body, but yet I still have the power of Youko. Quite a fusion, but will it be for the better...?~  
  
A crash breaks him out of his daze & his eyes dart to the kitchen.  
  
She pokes her head out, as if sensing his concern, and smiles, "I'm fine, I just dropped a glass."  
  
She pulls her head back in & Kurama stands back up, ~Maybe I should go see if she needs help.~  
  
He walks towards the kitchen & quietly peeks in. He sees her knelt down, scooping up shards of the broken glass.  
  
She winces suddenly when a shard pierces one of her fingers & she reaches over, dumping the shards into the trashcan. She puts her injured finger into her mouth & winces slightly, tasting blood.  
  
After pulling her finger back out, she looks down at the hazardous mess that still awaits her, "I really need to get another broom & dustpan... oh well, as they say, no pain, no gain...."  
  
She reaches down to scoop up more when two strong hands rest on top of hers, stopping her.  
  
She looks to her side to see Kurama kneeling next to her with a warm smile on his face, "Kurama...?"  
  
He continues to smile, "I'll finish cleaning up, I don't want to see you get hurt anymore..."  
  
His golden eyes rest on her scarred arm, "You already have scars from glass piercing your arm, all because of something I did when I was little. It's my turn to help you..."  
  
She stares at him for a moment before smiling, "Thank you... Kurama. You do want to be called Kurama right?"  
  
He nods, "That is my real name, but you can call me by my human name if it would make you happy. Whatever suits you, suits me."  
  
She stays silent as she stands up & begins fixing the snacks again.  
  
Kurama begins scooping up the glass, not once getting cut by the shards.  
  
"I guess I'll use Kurama, since that's your real name & no one has the right to change a person's identity. Besides, it would probably be easier for you & little Shuichi if you both have different names, you know, as to avoid confusion when Hatanaka or I call for one of you," she suddenly responds, her back to him.  
  
He freezes at her first statement for a few seconds, before dumping the shards into the trashcan, "Kurama it is then... but it sounds so weird to hear you call me by the name I was originally born with over 500 years ago."  
  
Her eyes widen out of surprise, but then her features return back to how they were before except for a slight smile, "Kurama's a beautiful name & I've already grown quite fond of it. Your real mother gave you a better name than I could ever give you. Just by looking at you... I can tell that she must've been beautiful. Can you tell me about her?"  
  
He frowns & closes his eyes, "She left me when I was too young to remember what she even looked like. A slightly older demon than myself named Kuronue watched over me in secret until he thought I was old enough to be of use. It was him who taught be the cut-throat fighting techniques I know, and we later became partners in crime as I grew older."  
  
His eyes become unfocused as he remembers some of the adventures they had went on, "We would steal things that were nearly impossible to steal, mainly to test our skills & for the thrill of the hunt. Between heists, I would often sit alone & struggle to remember my mother, to no avail. All that I could remember was my name... nothing else...."  
  
She remembers what that demon that had kidnapped her had told her about Kurama, "So... how much of what that demon said is actually true?"  
  
He stands up & looks at her, "Well, he was partially right about me staying with you long enough to gain my strength back. Back in the world I came from, I was being chased by a hunter while in my fox form. He shot me & I would've died if I hadn't relinquished all of my energy in a manner which allowed my soul to travel into this world. After arriving, I sort of 'fused' with your unborn child."  
  
He pauses for a moment, "During the early stages of my human life, I didn't care about you in the least bit. I just thought of the one day that I would finally be at full power again & leave. But, all that changed with an accident that could've taken my life since I was so small then. It was that incident where I had broken a plate & was going to fall, right onto the pieces. You had dove down & caught me, but in turn, you received those scars..."  
  
He looks down, remembering that day, "No one had ever done anything for me like that before. I was used to being independent & lived by the saying: 'Only the strongest survive.' In the Makai World where I grew up, I had to fend for myself in a forest full of dangerous demons. I had no one to care for me, not even Kuronue would help me unless I was injured while attempting to steal an artifact. My heart had grown cold with a thick layer of ice, but you melted that coldness away when you saved me."  
  
She smiles, brighter than she has for days, "That's what a mother's supposed to do for their child."  
  
Her smile falters a bit, "I don't know why your mother abandoned you at such a young age, but that was wrong. Maybe I don't understand because I'm just a human, but in my own opinion, 'as a human mother', I think she should've raised you until you were at least old enough to take good care of yourself & fight. If she had, then maybe you would've led a better life as a demon & wouldn't have been forced to grow up so quickly & even worse, devote your life to being a talented thief. Maybe I'm being irrational, but it's just my opinion from experience & also an opinion based on what you told me."  
  
He smiles, "No, you're right. If my demon mother raised me even half as well as you did, then I would not have stooped so low as to have become a thief."  
  
Tears threaten to fall from her eyes, but she doesn't turn to face him, "I apologize for the way I reacted to you when I first saw you like this & after you killed that demon. I was just so scared & amazed after learning this secret that you kept hidden from me. I'm especially sorry for my behavior when you came up to me after defeating that other demon, I hadn't expected that you would ever actually kill someone. I guess that I was so shocked, and I can't believe the thought crossed my mind..."  
  
He blinks, "What thought?"  
  
She stops what she's doing & turns to face Kurama, the tears she had been holding back now streaking down her face, "Towards the end of that duel, when you seemed to transform into something else, you didn't seem to have a shred of humanity left in you. Your voice was as cold as ice & your eyes would've striked fear into most people, demon or human. The way you looked... scared me. At that moment, I was convinced that you were not my son... but instead...."  
  
She chokes out the words, "I thought that you were a monster..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* K.H.: Sorry if this conversation going on between Kurama & Shiori is getting boring, but he did have to explain everything to her in a way that she wouldn't reject him again, which usually involves details. I finished this chapter pretty fast! It only took 2 days to think up, write in my notebook, and transfer onto my computer! This chapter stinks pretty badly, but I did like the part where Shiori was scooping up the shards of glass & Kurama wanted to do it instead so she wouldn't get hurt again (referring to the little accident mentioned where she saved him). I think I made quite a few mistakes in this chapter, mainly with him falling on the shards of a broken plate. I just know that he was going to fall on shards of something, but I wasn't exactly sure what. ^_^* I'm sorry, I tried. Please don't flame me TOO badly, I'm a sensitive person. See ya later... in the next chapter (when I write it that is)! 


	7. Perky Angel

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
K.H.: Well, aren't we moving right along? Already at Chapter 7! Wahoo! I think this fic is taking a nosedive unfortunately, I think that Kurama is out of character. Not much more to say, so I guess I'll just get on with it. But I do have this killer idea for a future chapter. grins like the idiot she is Mucho mushiness in the beginning of this chapter.

* * *

His eyes widen slightly at seeing her cry rather hard after her statement, so hard in fact, she almost collapses to her knees. He is hurt by once being thought of as a monster, but is even more disturbed at seeing his mother like this.  
  
He frowns, "Hey, don't feel so bad. I would've probably thought the same exact thing if I were in your shoes." He walks up to her & gently hugs her, being careful not to hurt her.  
  
She cries heavily into his chest, "You have no clue how guilty I felt, I had made the biggest mistake by pushing you away like that. I had caused my own fear, the fear that began when you were born as a human."  
  
Kurama looks down at her, "What fear?"  
  
She looks up at him with a tearstained face, "I feared that after a certain time, you would reject me. I was always afraid that I would do something wrong & cause you to hate me. It's my fault, I caused you to go away. And poor little Shuichi..."  
  
He blinks, She had the same fear. I was fearing that she would reject me because I'm a demon... She was fearing that she would do something wrong & I would reject her.  
  
He pauses when his sensitive ears pick up soft footsteps & he looks up from her. He stares at the kitchen doorway, his fox ears twitching occasionally.  
  
A young boy appears around the corner & Shiori looks at him, "Shuichi! Why are you still up?"  
  
He doesn't respond as he stares up at Kurama, wide-eyed.  
  
Kurama stares down at his younger human brother, "Shuichi...?"  
  
Shuichi shies away from him, "Who are you & how do you know my name?"  
  
Shiori walks over to Shuichi & smiles, her face still wet from tears, "Believe it or not, he's your older brother. He's just a bit different now."  
  
Shuichi slowly edges towards Kurama & at this time, Kurama noticed just how horrible Shuichi looked.  
  
Shuichi looks up at him, "Are you really my brother...?"  
  
Kurama gives a small nod, "Yes, I am. Hard to believe, isn't it?"  
  
Shuichi narrows his eyes slightly, "Prove it."  
  
Kurama smiles & kneels in front of him so he'll be more level with his human sibling, "Last Monday, I promised that I would get you a game that you had wanted for a very long time when your birthday came around. Your birthday party was going to be held in about 2 weeks on the 20th."  
  
Shuichi gasps, "You really are..."  
  
He suddenly lunges forward & hugs Kurama with all of what little strength he had. Kurama hugs him back & senses how weak Shuichi has gotten. He pulls back & messes Shuichi's hair up playfully, "Nice to see you too Shuichi. I came back when I heard that you & mom weren't doing too well. Are you ok?"  
  
Shuichi's eyes brighten & he smiles, "Now I am."  
  
He had said this despite there being cuts, bruises, and bandages all over him.  
  
Shuichi does a quick double-take of Kurama, "Why do you look so different? And why do you have those ears & that tail? You look so cool..."  
  
Kurama almost laughs at the clueless expression that Shuichi's giving him, but instead, chuckles in amusement, "For one, thank you for the compliment. I'll re-tell the story when we're all together."  
  
Shiori smiles while watching them, "How about you two go wait in the living room? I'm almost done, fixing snacks took a lot longer than I had predicted."  
  
She smiles at Kurama at this & he smiles back.  
  
Shuichi turns to run towards the living room, stumbles, and falls down, "Ouch!"  
  
Kurama looks down at him, "Are you alright? Maybe you shouldn't try running until you heal a bit."  
  
Shuichi slowly stands up & looks up at Kurama, smiling, "I'll be fine, bruises & cuts aren't going to stop me!"  
  
Kurama smiles, "Yes, but even a demon like myself has to take it easy after a rough battle. I've had my fair share of injuries in my life, some of them were serious enough to put me out of commission for a day or two. Just don't overdo it."  
  
Shuichi nods & they both walk towards the couch, side by side. Kurama takes a seat at one end of the couch & Shuichi sits down next to him.  
  
He begins nodding off into sleep & Kurama silently watches him. He smiles gently & wraps one of his arms around Shuichi's shoulders. He pulls Shuichi up close to him & Shuichi automatically begins leaning against his side. Kurama keeps one arm around Shuichi & Shiori enters with a tray in her hands. She sets it down on the coffee table (one of those smaller tables you usually have in living rooms) and looks at Kurama & Shuichi.  
  
She smiles, "Is he asleep?"  
  
Kurama twitches his ears as he listens to Shuichi's breathing pattern for a few moments.  
  
"He's out," he whispers.  
  
She continues to smile, "Do you think that you could bring him up to bed?"  
  
He nods & stands up, picking Shuichi up afterwards. Shuichi stirs slightly as Kurama carries him upstairs, but amazingly doesn't wake up.  
  
Kurama enters Shuichi's bedroom & gently sets him down on his bed. Shuichi turns over in his sleep & Kurama pulls the covers up over him. He sits on the edge of the bed & smiles down at his human brother.  
  
After a few seconds, he sighs, "It feels great to be back home. Everything is close to how it used to be, well, except for me that is."  
  
He stares Shuichi for a moment before pulling a seed out of his hair, "Maybe a healing plant is needed here."  
  
He inserts the seed into one of Shuichi's cuts, causing it to open again. After a few minutes, the healing plant begins to take effect and Shuichi's cuts & bruises begin to slowly disappear.  
  
Kurama smiles & rises to his feet, "He should be almost as good as new in the morning."  
  
He glances back at Shuichi one more time before leaving the room & heads back downstairs. He finds his mother sitting on the couch & the snacks she prepared, untouched.  
  
She hears his footsteps & turns to face him while seated, "Did he wake up again?"  
  
Kurama shakes his head, "No, he stayed asleep & I think he'll be out for the rest of the night."  
  
She smiles, "That's good, but maybe you should go to sleep. You've had a rough day..."  
  
He nods & yawns, "Maybe so."  
  
At that moment, he remembers Botan & quickly makes his way to the front door. He thrusts open the door & runs outside, only to find Botan already gone. He just stands there on the pavement & stares blankly at the spot where she once stood.  
  
A chilled wind picks up, causing his hair & fox tail to blow in the breeze.  
  
Shiori appears in the doorway, "What's wrong?"  
  
He looks down, "A friend of mine had been out here, but it seems that she left..."  
  
She walks up behind him, "Is it that girl that helped me before? The girl with the blue hair & pink kimono?"  
  
He nods, "Yes, that's her. Her name's Botan & she's a very close friend of mine. She was the one who told me of your condition & also the one to bring me back. She's the guide to the world of the spirits, or rather the 'grim reaper'."  
  
Shiori smiles, "Well, she sure didn't look like the grim reaper."  
  
He smiles, "No, not at all."  
  
He takes a step forward & looks up at the star-filled sky, "In fact..." He seems to contemplate something for a few short moments before smiling again, "... she's more like a perky angel."  
  
She takes a few steps forward & stops at his side, "I'm sure you'll see her again, but you should get some rest in the meantime."  
  
He nods & follows her inside, glancing back once.  
  
After cleaning up, Shiori gives Kurama a quick hug before sending him off to bed, "Goodnight Kurama."  
  
He glances back at her, "Goodnight mother."  
  
He disappears into his own room, which had been kept tidy since his leave. He lies down on his bed & is asleep in a few minutes. 


	8. Ningen Kurama's Revival!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
K.H.: Finally, I'm about to reach the end of this thing... I think. Can't wait, then I'll only have one story to worry about writing until I decide to upload another one out of my vast arsenal. Heh, "Rurouni Demon" is the only fanfic so far that I didn't get all good reviews... no biggie. Ok, I'm ending this author's imput thingie right after the next period.

* * *

Kurama awoke the next afternoon to the smell of food, most probably lunch. He sat up in bed & glanced around after letting out an enormous yawn. He happens to glance over at the mirror in his bedroom & freezes.  
  
His eyes widen, "What the-...?"  
  
He jumps up & walks towards the mirror to get a better look. He now has red hair, green eyes flecked with gold, and his face is similar to how it was when he was still a human.  
  
Kurama basically looked like a 7ft. tall Shuichi with fox ears & a fox tail. He also still had Youko's claws & clothes, but it seemed that he was reverting to his human identity.  
  
He was delighted by this turn of events & grinned at his reflection, "Seems that I'm returning to my human form."  
  
The now 'hanyou' Kurama turns away from the mirror & his eyes rest on two photos resting on his desk, each in a frame. He had never really bothered to look at them before, with the exception of a few times while thinking of something to write for essays his teachers would occasionally assign him & his classmates.  
  
He walks over to the pictures & studies them a bit. One picture is of his family; Shiori, Hatanaka, Shuichi, and himself.  
  
The next picture is of his 'other family' which is a group picture of Yusuke, Keiko, Kazuma Kuwabara, Yukina, Hiei, Shizuru, Botan, and himself.  
  
He notices various things going on in the photograph, which he didn't really take into account before.  
  
For some examples, Yusuke had an arm around Keiko, who was blushing, but smiling at the camera nonetheless.  
  
A similar event was happening between Kuwabara & Yukina, except that she smiled brightly at the camera.  
  
Hiei looked ready to kill as he glared at Kuwabara, but Shizuru put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from killing her little brother... but she would've let Hiei beat the crap out of him, no problem.  
  
"Those two seem to be getting along nicely," Kurama mused to himself while looking at the ill-tempered fire demon & Shizuru, who could more than likely take out a group of demons if she's ticked.  
  
His eyes traveled to Botan & himself. He had remembered giving her rabbit ears & to his surprise, found that she did it back to him!  
  
He couldn't help but chuckle, "We must be able to read one another's mind."  
  
He senses something or someone & looks towards his window, which the curtains are obscuring the view outside at the present moment.  
  
Someone knocks on his window & he walks towards it, "Maybe it's Hiei, he's one of the only people I know that can reach my window."  
  
He pulls back the curtains & sees someone that he wasn't quite expecting, "Botan???"  
  
He opens the window & pokes his head out, "I wasn't expecting you Botan."  
  
Botan smiles cheerily while floating on top of her oar, "I would've thought that you've learned to expect the unexpected by now! I just came to check to see how my favorite kitsune was doing."  
  
Kurama smiles, "But aren't I the only kitsune you know?"  
  
She blushes a bit, "Well, yes I suppose. Ah, forget it, I was coming to see how you were doing silly! You had to go through quite an ordeal last night, I'm glad to see that everything worked out."  
  
He nods, "Hey Botan, why don't you join us for lunch?"  
  
She floats over a little closer to the window, smiling, "Thank you Kurama, I was beginning to get a little hungry. It's been one soul after another this morning & Koenma is letting me have a small break."  
  
She looks at him for a moment before giggling, "I see you're turning back into a human again, that's great! Did you just wake up or something? You have a bed-head."  
  
He glances downward, slightly embarrassed, "Well, yes. I was up late last night & I just woke up a few minutes before you came. I haven't really had enough time to get cleaned up or anything."  
  
"Obviously. Anyway, I have to go file a report real quick & then I'll be back. It'll give you time to get straightened up a little," she says before glancing back towards a tree.  
  
She smiles & looks back at Kurama, "Looks like a certain little fire demon finally returned."  
  
Kurama smiles & looks at the tree, "Hey Hiei, come join us for lunch."  
  
Hiei drops down from the tree & looks up at the kitsune & the ferrygirl, "What a stupid question, I don't exactly like sitting down to a meal with other people. It's not my style."  
  
Botan grins, "Oh, come on Hiei, it'll be fun! Sitting down to a meal with Kurama's family can't be that bad, stop being such a partypooper!"  
  
Hiei turns away & Botan scowls, glaring at him. This actually scares Kurama to a certain degree. Botan almost NEVER scowls or glares, much less do them both at the same time.  
  
Botan flies down to Hiei, picks him up by the back of his collar, and flies him up to Kurama's window, "Kurama invited you to have lunch & you're going to turn him down so rudely? I don't think so. You're coming with me to apologize & turn him down in a more polite fashion."  
  
Hiei flails, "Let go of me you fool! I'm warning you..."  
  
Botan shoots a death glare at Hiei & he freezes.  
  
She sets him down in Kurama's room & Kurama smiles at him nervously, "Uh, hello there Hiei..."  
  
"I'll be back," she repeats & then glances in Hiei's direction. "Be good Hiei."  
  
She flies off & Hiei glares at her, his teeth bared, "Who does she think she is?! Telling me to be good like she's my mother or something!"  
  
Kurama sighs, smiling gently, "Settle down Hiei. Wait here while I take a quick shower."  
  
The koorime crosses his arms & sits down on the edge of Kurama's bed, "Yeah, whatever. Just hurry up, my patience is wearing thin."  
  
Kurama nods & exits his bedroom. 


	9. Lunch

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
K.H.: Wow, 2 chapters in one day. That's a lot of writing & thinking. The special chapter I had planned should be either the next chapter or the chapter after that. Depends on how things work out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kurama returns around 20 minutes later to find Hiei exploring his room.  
  
"Hiei, just what are you doing?" he asks, towel drying his hair.  
  
Hiei looks at Kurama, "Studying my surroundings, it's a habit of mine."  
  
Kurama smiles, "Ah, I see. That used to be one of my habits when I was still Youko Kurama. It's something that you had to do with a profession like I once had. Any sign of Botan yet?"  
  
Hiei grunts out of disapproval, "No sign of her yet, fortunately."  
  
Kurama chuckles lightly, "Come off it Hiei, Botan was just teasing."  
  
Hiei eyes Kurama, "Why are you defending her Kurama? Is she your mate or something?"  
  
Kurama blushes, but smiles when he thinks of a comeback, "I believe the present day term is girlfriend. Speaking of which, have you & Shizuru gotten together yet? You two seem to have a lot in common, you would make a cute couple."  
  
Hiei's eyes widen & he blushes a deep red, "What are you talking about? Why would I like a human woman?"  
  
Kurama smirks, knowing he had the fire demon against the ropes now, "I don't know, but you both like to beat up Kuwabara. She's also very strong for a human female. Furthermore, you're both hard-headed as well."  
  
Hiei becomes speechless at this & Kurama tries his hardest not to laugh at Hiei's facial expression.  
  
"Good one Kurama."  
  
Kurama & Hiei turn to see Botan just outside the window, grinning.  
  
Kurama blinks, "How long have you been outside my window Botan?"  
  
"Long enough to hear about Hiei & Shizuru," she replies.  
  
"That's too long if you ask me," Hiei says, his cool & calm stature returning again.  
  
She lands just past the window & her oar disappears, "Well, everything's sorted out. I hope that lunch hasn't gotten cold."  
  
"Kurama! Time for lunch!" Shiori calls from downstairs.  
  
Botan smiles, "Well, I guess not then!"  
  
Kurama nods, "Let me just go alert my mother that we will be having two guests."  
  
He disappears out the door, leaving Botan & Hiei alone in the same room together. They separate themselves by heading to opposite corners of the room, so that they can avoid quarreling.  
  
After some time, Kurama pokes his head inside the door, "Sorry to have kept you both waiting, she had been rather excited over seeing me in the process of turning back into my human form. She said that it was perfectly fine though, just be on your best behavior."  
  
Kurama & Botan glance at Hiei, which adds more fuel to Hiei's already fiery temper.  
  
"Alright, no problem," Hiei says coldly.  
  
Botan & Hiei follow Kurama downstairs, casting side glances at one another every few seconds.  
  
Shiori looks up to greet them with a warm smile, "Hello, it's nice of you two to join us for lunch."  
  
Her eyes rest on Botan & her smile grows wider, "Wait, I remember you. You helped me when we were fighting that demon. Kurama talked about you occasionally before, but it wasn't until about a week ago that I actually met you. Thank you Ms...-?"  
  
"Just call me Botan, guide to the spirit world!" Botan replies cheerfully, shaking hands with her.  
  
She looks over at Hiei before looking at Kurama, awaiting an introduction.  
  
Kurama seems to understand, "This is another friend of mine & he's sort of my partner when we're fighting. His name's Hiei."  
  
Hiei hesitantly shakes her hand & forces a smile, "Uh... hello."  
  
"He's not much of a people-person, as you can see," Kurama adds.  
  
Shiori nods, "Yes, it's quite noticeable. Not a problem."  
  
She glances at the table, "Well, I have everything set up if everyone's ready. Just grab a plate & have at it. I'll be glad to fix some more if we run out of anything."  
  
Everyone does as they are told & sits down at the table with their plates laden with food. They begin eating & Hiei glances around on occasion, taking in his surroundings.  
  
After they finish, Botan helps Shiori clean up in the kitchen, "That was a great meal Mrs. Minamino! Much better than some of the food I get in the spirit world."  
  
Shiori smiles, "Thank you Botan, for helping me out in two situations & the compliment on my cooking."  
  
"Can I come eat lunch with you people if I have the time?" she asks, hopeful.  
  
Shiori continues to smile, "Sure, just drop by anytime & I'll make you lunch, or dinner, or breakfast, depending on the time."  
  
Botan claps & smiles brightly, "Oh goodie!"  
  
Meanwhile, Kurama & Hiei clear off the table. Kurama stacks the dirty dishes in Hiei's arms before picking up the utensils.  
  
Hiei looks at Kurama over the pile of dishes, "Where do I go with these plates?"  
  
"To the kitchen & set them down on a counter," Kurama replies, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen.  
  
Hiei begins walking, being cautious not to trip over anything, "I never thought I would be stuck cleaning up after people, other than in fights."  
  
"I heard you Hiei," Kurama says as he comes up behind him with utensils in his hands. "Be glad, you don't come often enough to eat with us. You don't 'get stuck cleaning up after people' very often. About time you took some responsibility in some area other than fighting."  
  
Hiei mumbles some profane words while glaring at the kitsune, but does not argue.  
  
After everything is cleaned up, Hiei takes his leave, "If I stick around any longer, I might start getting all warm & compassionate like you Kurama."  
  
Kurama smirks as he watches as Hiei disappears to who knows where before returning inside to find Botan & his mother chatting away in the living room.  
  
They stop to look up at him when he enters.  
  
"Kurama, I've decided that I want Botan to ferry my soul when it comes time," Shiori states.  
  
He smiles & nods, "I agree. Botan is more than capable of that task."  
  
"Oh stop! You're making me blush!" Botan says, giggling.  
  
Shiori glances up at the clock & gasps, "I almost forgot! I'm supposed to pick up Shuichi & then go shopping!"  
  
Kurama & Botan watch as she hurries about before finally leaving.  
  
Kurama sits down next to Botan, "Botan...?"  
  
She looks at him, "Yeah?"  
  
"I was thinking about what went on between us last night & what we've been through together. And I was wondering if you would like us to be more than friends..." he says, his fox ears flicked to the side.  
  
Botan's eyes widen, "You're not kidding... are you...?"  
  
He shakes his head, "I'm dead serious."  
  
She smiles, "Yes, I would like that very much then."  
  
He also smiles & hugs her, "Thank you."  
  
She returns the hug & lies her head on his chest, smiling gently, "No, thank you."  
  
They kiss passionately & that officially begins their relationship. 


	10. Botan, the Mailgirl, and Kurama, the Sly

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH. -bleh-  
  
K.H.: Yay! One step closer to the end! Depending on how long this part is, I might include the thing I was talking about before. Confusing, eh? Ah, who cares what I say right here anyway? The story is the only thing important, but I would like to address some matters.  
  
For one, if you're all for the Kurama & Botan pairing, thank you. If you're for the Kurama & Hiei pairing, I respect your opinions & won't say anything bad, but please don't go on the reviews & say: "Kurama & Hiei forever!" or something like that, it's a tad annoying. If you want to read a Kurama & Hiei pairing fic, there are hundreds of them here. There's only few Kurama & Botan, so leave us alone, please. Now, for the other thing, I would like to thank all of you for reviewing! I feel so loved!   
  
Typing 'K.H.' takes too long... how about I type in Kitsuneko (Said like Kit-sue-nee-ko) or just Neko? Believe it or not, I type faster without putting the periods in. Anyway, that is all & now you can stop reading my blabber & get to reading the fic.  
  
VOTE: Kitsuneko or Neko! Include your vote in a review!

* * *

Kurama & Botan had successfully been dating for the last few years. He had graduated high school at the top of his class & is currently enrolled in college. He had chosen a college near home so that he could quickly leave if someone, friends or family, needed him. Botan would visit his dormitory sometimes while he was alone & keep him company.  
  
It was December & snow had fallen, blanketing the ground. Kurama had been left alone while the people he had been sharing the dormitory with stepped out to a party.  
  
He sighs, "College isn't meant for constant partying. They'll just learn the hard way I suppose."  
  
He hears a knock on the window & looks over to find Botan hovering on her oar.  
  
He walks over to the window & opens it, "Hello there Botan, come on in, I wasn't expecting you."  
  
She nods gratefully & flies in, "It's chilly out there!"  
  
"Then why are you flying around, you'll get a pneumonia," he says while latching the window shut.  
  
She sits down on a couch & pulls out an envelope, "I was asked to deliver this letter to you. It's from your mother."  
  
He accepts it, opens the envelope, and reads it, "There's going to be a Christmas party next week."  
  
Botan smiles while rubbing her arms, "Well, isn't that delightful! I just love Christmas parties!"  
  
Kurama tosses her a blanket, "Looks like I'll have to go shopping for gifts."  
  
She wraps herself in the blanket, shivering, "Me too. What do you want?"  
  
"Nothing really," he replies. "What would you like?"  
  
She thinks for a moment, "Anything from you is good enough. Don't get anything expensive, ok?"  
  
He smiles & nods, "Ok."  
  
She eyes him closely, "You promise? You can be a sly little fox sometimes...."  
  
He chuckles, "I promise."  
  
She smiles, "Well, now that that's settled, I'll be getting on my way in a few moments... just as soon as I warm up a bit more."  
  
He takes a seat next to her & wraps an arm around her. She leans up into him & he rubs her arm a bit, attempting to generate some heat.  
  
She grins, "Thanks, I'm starting to feel a lot warmer now!"  
  
He smiles, "Well, that's good. I don't want you getting ill for Christmas."  
  
She nods, "That would make an awful Christmas present."  
  
"Yes, it would," Kurama says, agreeing.  
  
She stands up, sheds the blanket, and stretches, "Well, I need to get back. I'll see you at the party I guess."  
  
He rises to his feet & looks at her, smiling gently, "Fly safely, ok?"  
  
They give each other a quick kiss before Botan opens the window & flies out on her oar.  
  
Kurama watches her until she flies out of sight & then closes the window.  
  
He smiles mischievously, "Promises must be broken for what I'm planning, sorry Botan."  
  
The sly kitsune returns to his studies, looking forward to the Christmas party & his big surprise.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
It was Christmas morning, the day that the party was going to take place at the Minamino residence. Shiori had woken up extra early that morning to arrange everything, with the help of Shuichi & Mr. Hatanaka of course.  
  
By the time everything was arranged, guests were beginning to arrive. The first to arrive were Yusuke & Keiko, who were soon followed by Kuwabara & the ice apparition Yukina. Each member of the group was laden with gifts for their friends.  
  
Keiko walks up to Shiori & smiles, "Thank you for inviting us to your party Mrs. Minamino."  
  
Yukina appears at Keiko's side & bows slightly, smiling gently, "Yes, thank you."  
  
Shiori smiles, "Oh, it was no problem at all. I'm just glad that my son has friends, and good ones at that."  
  
Meanwhile, Yusuke & Kuwabara stand in one corner of the room, each with a drink in their hand.  
  
Yusuke looks at Kuwabara, "So, what have you been up to Kuwabara? I haven't seen you for a few weeks."  
  
Kuwabara takes a gulp of his drink before he replies, "Oh, nothin' really. Yukina & I hung out for a bit. Koenma found a way for her to come to this party with me. Life's been pretty good, but how have you been?"  
  
The orange-haired teen smirks, "Did Keiko put you in the hospital yet?"  
  
Yusuke snorts, "Yeah, you wish Kuwabara. Then, you might actually have a chance of beating me."  
  
Kuwabara growls at this remark, but Yusuke just smiles & continues, "As for how my life's been going, it's been ok I guess. I'm working two different jobs & the pay ain't half bad."  
  
At that moment, he senses someone & grins, "Looks like we have a 'little' visitor. Let me go drag him in."  
  
Yusuke walks outside & returns a few minutes later dragging a ticked off Hiei. He lets go when Hiei threatens to shove his katana up Yusuke's ass.  
  
Kuwabara chuckles, "Hello there runt, too afraid to come in are we?"  
  
Hiei shoots him a glare, "I wasn't afraid... oh wait, that was a lie. I was afraid of seeing your ugly mug again."  
  
Kuwabara lunges at Hiei, but Yusuke manages to hold him back, "Cool it Kuwabara!"  
  
Kazuma glares at Hiei, growls, and storms off to another area of the room, "Stupid half-pint jerk."  
  
Yusuke looks from Kazuma to Hiei & smiles a bit, "I see you haven't changed much Hiei, just as rude as ever."  
  
Hiei lets out a "Hn." before crossing his arms, "I see that idiot hasn't changed either, just as stupid as he always was."  
  
The detective nods, "Yeah, hot-headed too."  
  
Hiei notices Yukina for the first time & his eyes widen, "Yukina's here???"  
  
Yusuke glances at Yukina, "Yeah, she came with Kuwabara. I guess you weren't around at that time to see them."  
  
Hiei fumes, "She came with that incompetent moron??? If he lays one finger on her-..."  
  
"-you'll kill him. I know, I've heard that line before, but that would make your sister sad & I know that is something that you don't like to do," Yusuke finishes.  
  
The koorime looks away, "Yes, so I shall spare that moron's life for now."  
  
Yusuke chuckles a bit before a question pops into his head, "Hey Hiei, I forgot to ask this pretty much everytime I've seen you for awhile now. Remember that incident a few years back with Buchiru & everything?"  
  
Hiei returns his eyes to Yusuke, "Yes, what of it?"  
  
Yusuke shrugs, "Well, not that it's any of my business, but where did you disappear to? You said that you had something to take care of."  
  
"I had to deal with my own problems which you are already aware of & were aware of at the time," the fire demon responds.  
  
"What problems? You mean Yukina?" Yusuke asks.  
  
Hiei gives a slight nod, "I needed some time to think & make decisions. While observing Kurama around that time, I found possible solutions to my questions."  
  
Yusuke blinks, "Like what?"  
  
Hiei is about to reply when Yukina runs up to him & hugs him, "Brother! I didn't know you were coming!"  
  
Hiei smiles & returns the hug, "I didn't know either."  
  
Yusuke is shocked to find out what Hiei meant, Hiei told Yukina??? 


	11. The Cupid Couple

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
----: This is becoming a real pain to type. This thingie up here you are reading now... possibly. We're movin' right along! Movin' right along! Dee- dee-dee-dum-dum-dee-dee-dee! Hoorah! Ok, enough of me wasting your precious time with this insignificant chatter. Don't I sound intelligent? Don't worry, it's just a few seconds before it passes. *bing!* Ok, over.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*This was the decision I made detective & I'm content with my decision,* Hiei says to Yusuke telepathically, glancing at him.  
  
Yusuke smiles after getting over the shock, *Well, I'm glad to hear it & I'm sure that Yukina feels the same way.*  
  
Yukina takes Hiei's hand & pulls a bit, "I want you to come with me to talk with Keiko & Shizuru."  
  
He looks at her & nods, still smiling, "I suppose that I could tolerate those two."  
  
*Don't you dare get fresh with Keiko, not that I think you will,* the detective warns Hiei telepathically.  
  
Hiei chuckles & glances over at Yusuke, *I just don't know if I can comply with that request. She would make a suitable mate-*  
  
"HIEI!!!" Yusuke shouts angrily, using his voice this time.  
  
Yukina jumps a bit & Hiei is actually close to laughing at Yusuke's expression.  
  
The mischievous koorime smirks, his eyes twinkling, *What? You disagree?*  
  
Yusuke's fiery temper suddenly cools down & he matches Hiei's smirk, *Yes, because I thought that you & Shizuru make a good couple. You two look so 'cute' together.*  
  
Hiei blinks & blushes a bit before becoming angry, "DETECTIVE!!!"  
  
"CHILDREN!!!" Shizuru & Keiko both shout at the same time at the both of them.  
  
They immediately stop & look at the two girls, blinking twice.  
  
"Yusuke! You jerk! Mrs. Minamino invited us to this party & you two are fighting!" Keiko exclaims, glaring at him severely.  
  
Yusuke backs away a bit, shielding himself with his hands, "Keiko! But I- what the hell! HE STARTED IT!!!"  
  
The rather immature 'man' pointed at Hiei while shouting at Keiko. Keiko's face doesn't change at this & Shizuru decides to try her luck.  
  
She steps towards Yusuke & Hiei, cracking her knuckles, "Looks like you two need to be taught a lesson..."  
  
Yusuke's & even Hiei's face pales at this & they back away. Yusuke tries to make a run for it, but ends up running smack into the back of the front door when it opens. He falls down onto his back, his head spinning.  
  
Kurama peeks around the door at him & blinks, "Yusuke?"  
  
After getting over the shock of seeing him, Yusuke quickly scrambles behind him, "Save me!"  
  
The kitsune eyes him suspiciously, "Why? What did you do to get in trouble THIS time?"  
  
As if to answer his question, Shizuru comes walking towards the two. Yusuke gulps & attempts to make himself invisible to her.  
  
Shizuru ignores the cowering Yusuke & smiles at Kurama, "Well, look what the cat dragged in. Wasn't Botan supposed to come with you?"  
  
On cue, Botan peeks at her from behind Kurama & smiles brightly, "Oh yeah, I'm here. I'm just tagging along behind Kurama."  
  
She hugs Shizuru, "I haven't seen you for ages Shizuru! How's life been treating ya? Are you doing ok? What's been happening?"  
  
Shizuru chuckles lightly, "Botan, we're not playing 20 questions. One question at a time please."  
  
Botan glances back at Kurama & he smiles mischeviously, nodding slowly. The ferrygirl mirrors his expression for a moment before turning back to Shizuru, grabbing her by the wrist, and dragging her to a corner of the room.  
  
Shizuru blinks while being dragged along, "Botan! What the hell are you doing???"  
  
Botan gives her an innocent smile, "Oh, nothing. I just want to talk to you in private, that's all."  
  
While Botan does this, Kurama makes his way over to Hiei, "Hello Hiei, mind if I talk to you?"  
  
Hiei glances at him & narrows his eyes out of suspicion, "Yes kitsune? Are you up to no good again?"  
  
"I just wanted to talk to you & you immediately think that I'm up to no good. I'm surprised Hiei, don't you trust me?" Kurama teases, causing Hiei to cock an eyebrow.  
  
The koorime snorts & crosses his arms, "Fine, spit it out."  
  
Kurama smiles normally, but his eyes dance with amusement, "Are Shizuru & yourself together yet?"  
  
Hiei nearly chokes at this & glares at Kurama, his glare wavering, "What? What makes you think that her & I will get together to form a 'couple' as you humans put it?"  
  
"Well, one: You both are stubborn. Two: You both like to fight. Three: You both are strong. Four: You both like to hassle Kuwabara..." Kurama replies, counting off on his fingers.  
  
Hiei begins twitching, "That... does not... mean a thing!"  
  
Kurama smirks, "Really now? I saw you blushing whenever she was standing next to you."  
  
A blush creeps up on Hiei's cheeks & he looks away, "Hn. What do you know? And what if I actually did like her? Not that I do, keep in mind. Why would you be so interested in it & butt in? Stupid fool."  
  
Kurama just continues smiling despite being insulted, "Hiei, you & I have known each other for a long time. I can tell when you're lying & I can read your emotions like an open book. Why not just admit it & get together with her?"  
  
Hiei glances at him through narrowed eyes & looks away a moment later, "I'm a demon & Shizuru is a human woman. There is a vast difference between the two & one is meant to despise the other."  
  
Kurama rolls his eyes a bit, "Come off it Hiei. There's one thing that a demon hates more than a human & that's the Reikai people. I'm a demon, or rather a half-demon, and Botan is one of those Reikai people, but I still love her."  
  
The fire demon doesn't respond & glances at Botan & Shizuru as the two walk towards Kurama & himself. Hiei looks at Shizuru & she returns the gaze, blushing a bit.  
  
Kurama removes himself & is about to walk past Botan when he stops at her side.  
  
"Botan, there's another part to this plan of mine. You & I should seperate ourselves from Hiei & Shizuru for a bit as not to arouse suspicions," Kurama whispers without even glancing at her.  
  
Botan nods & walks with him to go talk to Yukina, who at this time was back over by Kuwabara.  
  
Meanwhile, Hiei & Shizuru refrain from striking up a conversation with one another until Shizuru decides to be brave.  
  
"So, it looks like Kurama & Botan are teaming up to try & get you & I to hook up. I take it that that's what you & Kurama were talking about?" she asks dully.  
  
Hiei gives a small nod, "The stupid kitsune & his bubble-headed girlfriend have this crazy idea in their heads that we like each other. We don't... don't we?"  
  
They glance at one another, blush, and quickly avert their gaze.  
  
Shizuru swallows, but continues to keep most of her cool, "No, not at all."  
  
Unbeknownest to them, a small figure could be seen edging his or her way up the first flight of stairs which are located right behind them, unfortunately. This could turn ugly.... 


	12. Love at First Kiss

----: *rocks to some music & bobs her head* "They say... this is the city... the city of angels, but all I see is dead wings." =^o^= It's some Inuyasha music video I downloaded & it's cool! I also downloaded a Samurai X music video that is to the song "Stupify" by a group called Disturbed. I could sit here in front of my computer talking about all of the videos I downloaded, but no one came to hear that. Ya'll (yes, I'm southern) came to read this here fic o' mine! ((*ish being TOO southern* O.o*)) Dun worry, I sound better than that & I type better than I sound. ;x By the way, for you people that haven't got the hint yet, I DO NOT OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!!! Nor will I ever! ((Unless by some MAJOR fluke... hmm....))  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Surprisingly, Hiei doesn't sense the little perpetrator sneaking up the stairs behind Shizuru & himself.  
  
While hidden in a small group of people, Kurama smiles as he watches his little brother do as he had told him. Botan also watches & covers her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from laughing.  
  
Kurama glances over a Botan & leans over to whisper in her ear, "We're going to have fun & make them 'show the spirit of Christmas,' if you catch my drift."  
  
Botan nods, "Alright, we'll pressure them into it. I know Yusuke & Kuwabara will help us, definitely."  
  
Without the two noticing, Shuichi extends a stick with mistletoe tied onto the end above Hiei & Shizuru.  
  
Kurama smirks, "Ok, that's our cue Botan. Lets gather Yusuke & Kuwabara."  
  
They quickly make their way over to Yusuke & Kuwabara. The four can be seen discussing something & both Yusuke & Kuwabara grin devilish grins.  
  
Yusuke chuckles quietly, "So, you two are playing as cupids, is that it?"  
  
Kurama shrugs, "I suppose so, but lets go embarrass them now shall we?"  
  
Kuwabara laughs a little, "Yeah! I finally get to get back at that stupid punk!"  
  
The four walk towards Hiei & Shizuru, but stop a few feet away from them in some semblance of a circle.  
  
Hiei & Shizuru glance around at them, both nervous & curious.  
  
Yusuke chuckles darkly & points up at the mistletoe, "C'mon Hiei, don't tell me that you didn't notice that you're standing below a mistletoe. You know what that means don't ya?"  
  
Hiei is confused, so he turns to Kurama for answers.  
  
Kurama smiles brightly at being acknowledged, knowing very well that Hiei would most likely try to kill him later, "It's a Christmas tradition in the human world. If two people of the opposite gender stand under a mistletoe, then they must kiss."  
  
Hiei's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets, "WHAT THE HELL???"  
  
The kitsune chuckles nervously, "Come on Hiei, you can't break tradition." ^_^*  
  
Hiei's shocked expression turns into one of fury, "You set us up, DIDN'T YOU??? I should kill you right here & now!!!"  
  
He glances around at all of them, also noticing Shuichi at this time, "I should kill all of you fools!"  
  
Kuwabara leans towards Hiei with his fists on his hips, grinning widely, "C'mon Hiei, kiss my sister. You know you want to!"  
  
Shizuru growls at Kuwabara, which causes him to back away immediately, "Eh, sorry sis, but you two gotta kiss!"  
  
Shizuru glares at Botan next, "You're just as guilty as Kurama, Botan."  
  
Botan makes a kitty face & paws the air with one of her hands, "I know, I know, but I just couldn't resist! Botan is sorry, but you two still have to kiss each other."  
  
Yusuke begins repeatedly chanting the word "kiss," immediately followed by Kuwabara, then Botan, then lastly Kurama. At hearing this, the rest of the people at the party come to investigate & join in.  
  
"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss...."  
  
Hiei & Shizuru look at each other apprehensively, blushing.  
  
Shizuru sighs after a minute or two, "Look, I hate this as much as you do, but they won't stop until we kiss. Let's just get this over with & give each other a quick kiss so those idiots will be satisfied & shut the hell up. Just a quick peck on the cheek should do."  
  
Hiei also gives in & they give one another a quick peck on the cheek. Unfortunately, this doesn't satisfy the majority of the crowd.  
  
Kurama shakes his head, "That was pathetic. You have to do it like this..."  
  
He pulls Botan to him & kisses her tenderly on her lips. She is surprised for a split second, but then returns the kiss gently. Everyone, with the exception of Hiei & Shizuru, clap & cheer loudly.  
  
"Yeah! Show 'em how it's done Kurama!" Yusuke shouts while pumping his fist into the air.  
  
Kurama & Botan stare at one another, smiling gently before turning back to the other 'couple'.  
  
Hiei sneers, "Showoff."  
  
Kurama just smiles mischievously, "Go on you two. Kiss like you mean it."  
  
Everyone begins chanting again & claps with each word.  
  
After some hesitation, Hiei & Shizuru move towards each other. They pause for a moment before they share a kiss. They hold the kiss for about three seconds before quickly pulling away, applause & shouts erupting in the room. They look at each other, blushing a deep red, almost nearly matching the color of Kurama's hair.  
  
Shizuru stares at Hiei silently, ~He's a good kisser... and pretty handsome too....~  
  
Hiei does the same, ~That wasn't bad... in fact... it felt nice. Now that I look at her, she seems very beautiful for a human woman....~  
  
Shuichi runs back down the stairs & up to Kurama, "Did I do ok?"  
  
Kurama smiles at him, "Yes, you performed well Shuichi. I still can't believe that Hiei didn't sense you. You would make a good spy."  
  
Shuichi grins at the compliment, "Cool, because I was thinking of becoming one."  
  
Kurama is about to respond when his mother silences the room.  
  
She smiles, "Everyone, it's time for opening presents!"  
  
Unnoticed by all, Kurama smiles mischievously, his emerald orbs twinkling, ~Time for my surprise...~ 


	13. Neverending Boxes

----: *sweat drop* Ya bunch of LOSERS! What happened to voting on my name? Neko or Kitsuneko? Copycat or KopyKat? (new additions) I'M DRIFTING AROUND NAMELESS HERE!!! Fine, I know how to get your attention. If you people don't start sending in votes, I will refuse to put another chapter in. How 'bout 'dem apples? I have at least a chapter or two after this, so don't think I'm jipping (sp?) you out of something. Also, the name that you choose will be my name until I find some other strange nickname & vote on that. I'll be nice & put this chapter up for you, but after that, you're S.O.L. until I get some votes. ((If you don't know what S.O.L. means, it's Shit Out of Luck.)) And I'm going to be leaving it at a MAJOR cliffhanger as a bigger motive! Muahaha!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Everyone makes his or her way over to the Christmas tree with the exception of Hiei, who would prefer to not be a part of this 'warm' moment.  
  
Kurama looks at Yusuke & Kuwabara, *Yusuke, Kuwabara, I have a little secret that I would like to share with you both.*  
  
They look at him for a moment before returning to what they were doing as to not look suspicious, each giving a slight nod.  
  
He telepathically reveals his little 'secret', causing them both to grin widely.  
  
Keiko notices Yusuke grinning & blinks, confused, "Yusuke, what are you grinning about?"  
  
Yusuke smiles nervously, "Nothing, just a lil' happy, that's all."  
  
She smiles, "With the way you were grinning, it's like you had a million dollars dumped on your lap."  
  
He chuckles a bit, "Nope, but that's some wishful thinking. I'm just gettin' in the Christmas spirit, not a big deal right?"  
  
She nods before sifting through the presents & pulls out one, handing it to Yusuke, "Here's one for you Yusuke. It's from Kurama."  
  
Yusuke notices a small card attached & opens it to find the words "Do not tell" on it. He glances over to find that Kuwabara had the same note on his present. He shrugs & tears off the wrapping paper.  
  
He grins again & holds up the CD, looking in Kurama's direction, "Thanks Kurama! This is my favorite band! You rock!"  
  
Kurama smiles & chuckles lightly, nodding. He turns back towards Botan & watches over her, making sure that she doesn't get to his special present too early.  
  
Shuichi suddenly runs up to him & nearly tackles him from excitement, "Thank you so much for this game! I've been wanting it for FOREVER!!!"  
  
The kitsune laughs, "Your welcome Shuichi, glad you like your present."  
  
Kuwabara had gotten another book in a series he was collecting, one that he had been wanting too. He grins at Kurama & begins looking over his book a bit.  
  
Kurama picks up a present from under the tree & walks over to Hiei, "This one's for you Hiei, you might actually like it."  
  
Hiei snorts & accepts the gift, "Doubt it, but thank you."  
  
The koorime opens the gift & smirks at what's inside, "Well well, what do we have here? Some polish for my sword & what's this? Clothes? Not the type I'm accustomed to... what's your game kitsune?"  
  
Kurama smiles innocently, "Just an outfit that you could wear on a date with Shizuru. The blue sweatshirt & black slacks just screamed your name. There's something else in there too."  
  
Hiei eyes him oddly before looking more thoroughly, finding some cologne, "Perfume? How stupid can you get???"  
  
Kurama chuckles, "No, it's cologne. It's like perfume, but it's for men. You'll have to spray some of that on when you go on your date with Shizuru."  
  
Hiei scowls, "We're not going out on some date! We are NOT a couple!"  
  
Kurama smirks, "That's not what it looks like. That was a passionate kiss that you two shared. Oh Hiei, I didn't know you had it in you!"  
  
Hiei blushes & looks away, "Don't you have someone else to go annoy?"  
  
Kurama lets out a short laugh before turning & leaving, having great satisfaction in perturbing the little fire demon.  
  
He opens his presents, having received one from each person with the exception of Hiei. Yusuke had given him a Gift Card for $20 to use at one of his favorite bookstores. Kuwabara had given him the exact same thing, which made him wonder if they both had gone at the same time & just decided to get something quick & easy. Yukina had given him some glass roses, which had been crafted by the most talented sculptor in Makai. Keiko gave him a cute little chain with a fox on it, which he knew that the jeweler that made it probably thought it odd. His mother had given him a DVD set he had wanted & Shuichi had gotten him a game for his laptop he had recently bought. And last but not least, Shizuru had gotten him some posters, having complained before that college dormitories were always dull & boring.  
  
After everyone had 'supposedly' opened up all of their gifts, Kurama pulls another large gift out from behind the tree & hands it to Botan, "Looks like you missed one Botan."  
  
She smiles & sits down with the gift, "Thanks Kurama, I guess that I didn't see it before."  
  
She shakes it a bit, "Hmm... what ever could it be?"  
  
Kurama laughs a bit, "Botan, that's cheating. Open it up & find out."  
  
The ferry girl giggles & nods, "Okay! Okay! I'll open it!"  
  
She begins ripping off the paper only to find that the box was taped shut... with electrical tape. She begins trying to get it off, but doesn't have much luck at it.  
  
Botan looks up at everyone, "Alright, whose bright idea was this? Can someone please get me a pair of scissors?"  
  
Kurama does the honors & leaves, returning with scissors. She takes them & with much frustration, manages to get the tape off & opens it... only to find another box inside with a note on top.  
  
She picks up the note & reads it, "//So... you made it through the first box. Keep digging baby.//"  
  
She looks up from the note at Kurama & smiles, "So, this is from you eh? Very funny Kurama."  
  
Kurama just nods & smiles, watching her as she tries to get through the next box, which was also taped with electrical tape.  
  
"Is this a gift... or punishment?" Botan says while trying to cut through the tape with the scissors.  
  
After rubbing her aching hands, she opens the box & sees yet ANOTHER box inside with a note on top of it.  
  
She reads it aloud, "//You must have been a very bad ferry girl, you got twigs & lumps of coal. Tsk-tsk. Maybe you have a better present waiting in the next box. Keep your spirits up!//"  
  
Botan looks to find coal & twigs surrounding the next box. She picks up some twigs & hurls them at Kurama. Kurama shields himself with his arms & chuckles to himself. Both Yusuke & Kuwabara make the mistake of laughing & find themselves with coal in their mouths suddenly. They begin gagging & spit the coal out, each feeling a bit nauseous.  
  
Keiko laughs a bit, "Good aim Botan! That's the way to shut 'em up!"  
  
After contenting herself with that, the bluenette attempts to open the next box. By now, the muscles in her hands are incredibly sore & she winces as she tries to cut through the next round of tape. Kurama can't help but feel a tinge of guilt, but decides that she should work for it. It would be worth it in the end to see her face... hopefully the one he wanted to see.  
  
Botan gets the box open & lets out a sigh of frustration at what she sees, "What's with all the BOXES??? I heard of working for your gifts, but this is RIDICULOUS!!!"  
  
She reads the note attaches to it, "//Hey, at least I didn't wrap the boxes in electrical tape, then you would still be on the second box probably. Don't worry, this next box is the 'last' box. You're almost there, I give you my word.//"  
  
Botan gives Kurama a small glare before reaching for the next box... 


	14. The Proposal

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: I thank l-Steph-chan-l for helping with the nick. *glares at all* You people forgot to vote. Poop-heads! All of you are lucky that I'm at least somewhat nice & decided to put this chapter up.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
She picks the box up & glares at the tape on it, "You're so cruel & unfair."  
  
Kurama just smiles, "This should be nothing compared to what I had to go through to get what I wanted back when I was a thief. At least there aren't any wards or spells on your gift."  
  
"Well, you didn't have to put electrical tape all over it!" she complains while trying to cut the tape off.  
  
He smiles innocently, "Would you rather me have put super glue?"  
  
She gives him a dangerous glare, which was cold enough to make even Youko Kurama shiver.  
  
She grins when she manages to get the box open & rips all of the tissue paper out, discarding a small sack (made of tissue paper & a string to close it) as well. She blinks when she finds nothing in the box & glances around at the trash, finding the tissue sack. The deity opens it to find something she never would've expected! Rocks.  
  
She shoots Kurama a death glare, "You made me go through all that for a sack of rocks? What were you thinking??? Ooh, when I get my hands on you..."  
  
He points at a piece of paper lying on the floor among all of the tissue paper, "You forgot to look at your note. Read the note before you start trying to beat me to a pulp."  
  
She reads the note, "//Sorry, but there is no present here. And you worked SO hard to get here too.//"  
  
She glares at Kurama, but he just nods towards the note in her hand, "Did you read it ALL?"  
  
The bluenette returns her eyes to the paper to find that it had the words "Look in the" and a picture of a Christmas tree.  
  
She looks up at Kurama, "Look in the Christmas tree...?"  
  
He smiles & nods, "Yes, make sure to look well."  
  
She stands up & begins pacing back & forth & around the tree, inspecting it. She looks back at Kurama, confused, "I don't see anything..."  
  
He cocks an eyebrow, "Are you sure that you're looking on the branches & inspecting it closely...?"  
  
She returns her gaze to the tree & everyone watches as her eyes suddenly widen to their extent & she covers her mouth with her hand, "Oh my... Kurama..."  
  
Hidden among the branches of the tree, rested a small, blue velvety box that was open to reveal a brilliant sapphire ring with diamonds surrounding it.  
  
Kurama smiles & walks towards her, "I see that you're speechless about your gift Botan."  
  
She nods slowly & watches as he carefully plucks the box from the tree. He smiles warmly & slowly gets down on one knee in front of her.  
  
He holds the box out towards her, "Botan... will you marry me...?"  
  
Everyone holds their breath as they watch Botan, waiting for her response. Small whimpers escape her as she stares at both him & the ring, his question echoing in her mind.  
  
Tears well up in her eyes & she smiles, giving a small nod, "Of course Kurama, I would be honored to be your wife..."  
  
He smiles wider as he removes the ring from it's case & slips it onto her finger, "As I would be honored to be your husband."  
  
She wraps her arms around him & hugs him tightly, now sobbing. He hugs her back gently, attempting to calm her down. Everyone, at this time, begins cheering loudly & Yusuke pulls out a champagne bottle out of nowhere in particular & pops the top.  
  
Botan calms down a bit & looks up at him, "Kurama..."  
  
He smiles warmly, "Botan..."  
  
He leans down & kisses her gently on her lips. She returns the kiss & wraps her arms loosely around his neck. After separating, people crowd around them to congratulate them.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
After most of the partying was done, Botan had fallen asleep in a chair at one corner of the room. Kurama sees her & laughs before walking over to her, picking her up.  
  
He looks at the others, "I'm going to go take Botan back to her home. See you guys later."  
  
After being congratulated again by everyone, he leaves to take Botan back home. He smiled to himself while walking, ~From this moment on, our futures are intertwined until the day I die. If I revert to being a fox demon after my human body dies, I will continue to be by Botan's side. All that's left now is to plan the wedding...~ 


	15. Lil' Getaway ::bonus::

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.  
  
KopyKat: Well, now aren't we all having fun? The event in the last chapter was based on a real life event. My father did the same with my stepmother, except that she got a Sapphire ring as a Christmas present, not as an engagement ring like Botan did. *pumps fist in the air* Go dad! Great inspiration for the story! By the way, the last chapter was the chapter that I was talking about a few chapters back. I forgot what I said though. *sweat drop* Uh, anyway, I will cut it off here (not the fic) & let you guys take over now. (Oh, and sorry if I sound so self-absorbed in my first paragraph about the birthday thing. ^^*)  
  
((A/N: I wish that I knew why I can't do italics. I've tried doing what ff.net said, but it didn't work. Crap!))  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After about a week or two of discussing & planning, the engaged couple decided to have their wedding just after Kurama graduates from college on May 18th. So, they decided to go two days later & make it May 20th (my birthday!).  
  
During the remaining months, they continued dating each other & even went on some trips during vacation. They went to France & took a trip to Ireland only a few weeks later.  
  
((It has now been a little more than a year since the Christmas party.))  
  
Botan got the idea that they should visit the United States, since she had heard so many good things about it.  
  
"Alright, since our next trip will be to America, we have to decide which state we need to go to," Kurama says.  
  
Botan thinks while tapping her chin lightly with her finger, "Let me see... it can't be too slummy now, and good food would be nice. I would also like it to have some attractions."  
  
He looks down on his list of states & begins putting lines through those that don't fit the specifications.  
  
After finishing, he scans the list, "Well, so far, we still have California, Florida, Louisiana, and Hawaii."  
  
The kitsune eyes the list, "From what I've heard, Hawaii has been having some active volcanoes lately. We should steer clear from there for now."  
  
Botan scowls, "Rats! I wanted to try out surfing too."  
  
He looks at her, "Shall I go research these states online?"  
  
The ferrygirl shrugs, "If you want to, I don't want to force you into anything."  
  
Kurama smiles, "Not a problem, it'll only take a few minutes, half an hour at the most."  
  
She nods & he exits the room to go start his research. She busies herself by taking out a deck of cards & begins playing Solitaire to pass away the time. After about 20 minutes, Botan begins getting bored with the card game.  
  
"Botan, come see."  
  
She jumps up & runs towards the computer room, "Coming!"  
  
She arrives & looks at the computer screen, "What did you need me to see Kurama?"  
  
He glances up at her before returning his eyes to the computer screen, "I've already checked out sites on California & Florida. They've both got either a Disneyland or a Disneyworld, but they aren't well known for their food. There would also be an overload of tourists & I'm not exactly comfortable in a large crowd. Here's a site on Louisiana that has been recently updated & it says that they have a Six Flags which at one point had been called Jazzland. Louisiana is also well known for it's great food & marshes. They're also one of the leading producers in sugar & a hot sauce called Tabasco."  
  
Kurama smiles, "I think that we should go there. I would be interested in seeing all of the different kinds of plant life & wildlife out there. We could also go to the Tabasco plant & go on a tour."  
  
Botan smiles brightly, "Yes, that sounds like a swell idea!"  
  
Kurama scrolls down the webpage & finds some more things, "Oh, there's also someplace called the French Quarter in New Orleans. It has different trinkets from different cultures. It's also the 'Hot Spot' for a festival called Mardi Gras, which is sometime around February & March."  
  
She blinks, "Mardi Gras? What is that?"  
  
He looks up at her from his position in the chair, "From what I recall in foreign studies, Mardi Gras is basically one big party. There are floats with people riding on them & the people throw things like a necklace of beads out to a crowd. It's also a good time to get drunk."  
  
Botan grins widely, "Now we all know of a certain someone that would like to get drunk & party."  
  
Kurama chuckles, "Yes, I think Yusuke would enjoy Mardi Gras very much."  
  
"So, Louisiana it is," she says.  
  
He looks at what appears to be a schedule on the page, "Mardi Gras is going to be taking place in early February this year. That means that we will leave in another 2 weeks, which will give me enough time to get the work that I will be missing & complete it."  
  
"And it will give me enough time to get things sorted out with Lord Koenma. He needs to have someone take my place while we're gone," Botan chirps.  
  
Kurama stands up after going offline, "It's all set. The biggest problem that we'll be having is getting our money changed into American money."  
  
Botan stares at him blankly for a few moments, deep in thought, before remembering something, "Do you think that we should ask everyone else if they want to come?"  
  
Kurama considers this & nods, "That would be fine. I already know that Hiei won't be able to since he does not have a passport. As we said before, I'm sure Yusuke would love to come along. Kuwabara would more than likely want to come as well. They are required to pay for themselves however."  
  
Botan grins & holds her hand out to the side, "I'll go deliver the message to them, then I'll go speak with Lord Koenma."  
  
Her oar materializes in her outstretched hand & she gives Kurama a quick hug & kiss before turning into her spirit form. She waves goodbye to him & disappears back to the spirit world.  
  
Kurama glances at his watch & hurries towards where he had left his briefcase, "I've completely lost track of time. It's almost time for my classes to start."  
  
He grabs his briefcase & rushes out the door to attend his afternoon classes. 


	16. Eventful Night ::bonus::

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
KopyKat: Nearly time for Christmas. Let's see, as I am typing this, it is December 7th. I don't feel like doing the math to find out how many days until Christmas. Math never was my best subject... Stupid Algebra & Geometry. -.-* Anyway, any chapter with the word "bonus" in parentheses behind it means that it is a bonus chapter. In other words, I could've just skipped ahead to the bachelor & bachelorette parties & the wedding, but I didn't. I hope you readers don't have any complaints on that... =o.o=*  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Well, it was the night before the trip & Yusuke was the only person that was coming with them, which was actually very predictable. The three of them were spending the night at Kurama's house, which he had bought after getting fed up with his roommates in the dormitory.  
  
"So Kurama," Yusuke begins while settling himself in a beanbag chair, "Exactly what time are we going to be waking up tomorrow?"  
  
"Approximately 6:00 in the morning," Kurama answers.  
  
Botan sticks her head out of the kitchen, "Hey, do you two want hot chocolate? I also have some marshmallows..."  
  
Yusuke grins, "Yeah! Hot chocolate would be good about now!"  
  
Kurama nods, "Yes, thank you. That would be nice."  
  
She disappears back into the kitchen & Yusuke looks at Kurama, "Now what's this about some festival we're going to?"  
  
Kurama smiles, "The festival is called Mardi gras, it's something that only Louisiana does. You basically go out & party. We'll just have to experience it for ourselves when we get there."  
  
Yusuke's eyes lit up at the word 'party', "I can't wait."  
  
Kurama chuckles, "I know you can't, but I'm afraid that you'll have to, at least for about 2 or 3 days."  
  
Botan walks in with two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands & gives one to each of the boys, "Here you two. Be careful, it's hot-"  
  
"OWWW!!!" Yusuke screams, fanning his tongue with his free hand, "It's hoo ha!" (Translation: "It's too hot!" A/N: I actually stuck my tongue out & said it.)  
  
Kurama laughs & Botan lightly slaps the back of Yusuke's head, laughing, "You're silly Yusuke! If it's called hot chocolate, there's a good chance that it's gonna be hot."  
  
Yusuke's tongue goes back into his mouth & he begins blowing the beverage, "Yeah, well..."  
  
He isn't able to think of a comeback, so he just preoccupies himself by blowing the marshmallows around the cup. It WAS cooling down the hot chocolate anyway....  
  
"Hey, Yusuke," Botan starts.  
  
Yusuke lowers the mug & looks at her, "Yeah?"  
  
"Why wasn't Kuwabara able to come again?" she asks.  
  
Yusuke rolls his eyes a bit, "He wanted to stay with 'his fair Yukina & protect her from harm.' Stupid moron, it's not like we're back in Makai."  
  
Kurama smiles lightly, "Well, Kuwabara's overly protective of her, much like Hiei. Hiei's just a bit more discreet about it."  
  
Yusuke grumbles a little, "With our luck, Hiei's probably listening to our conversation right now."  
  
Kurama shakes his head, "No, his ki is far off. More than likely, he's back in Makai right now."  
  
Yusuke nods & takes a cautious sip of the hot chocolate in hopes of not getting burned again. Kurama glances at the clock, "After this, we should get to bed. It's already going on 9:30."  
  
Yusuke sighs, "Fine. Party-pooper..."  
  
Kurama looks at him, "You don't get some sleep now, you'll be too 'pooped to party' when we actually get there."  
  
"I'm pooped!" Yusuke replies quickly as he stretches & fakes a yawn.  
  
Botan shakes her head a bit, trying not to laugh, "Nice to see that change of attitude Yusuke, we should start getting into our sleeping bags."  
  
Yusuke blinks in confusion before narrowing his eyes, "Sleeping bags? Botan! You never told me to bring a sleeping bag!"  
  
Botan smiles nervously, her face taking the appearance of a cat's, and paws the air meekly, "Sorry, it must've slipped my mind." =^~^=*  
  
Yusuke glances at her out of the corner of his eye, "I don't know what to call you, a bubblehead or a butterbrain." ¬_¬*  
  
Botan tilts her head to the side, still smiling nervously. ^~^* Kurama stands up & walks out of the room, "No worries, I have an extra."  
  
The bluenette claps her hands together, smiling brightly, "See Yusuke? It's all taken care of!"  
  
Yusuke gives her the same annoyed look he did before, "Yeah, with no thanks to you 'butterbrain.'"  
  
Botan growls before she closes her eyes & calms herself a bit. She holds her hand out at her side & her oar appears in it. She promptly uses it to bash Yusuke over the head with & manages to knock him out.  
  
Kurama enters with two folded sleeping bags & sees Yusuke out cold on the floor, "What happened?"  
  
Botan smiles brightly & holds out the 'ok' hand sign, "He went out like a light." (('Ok' hand sign- the sign where you touch fingertips of your thumb & pointer finger & hold the three remaining fingers up. It's basically what the Playboy bunny would look like if he had three ears. *shrug*))  
  
Kurama blinks & looks at the unconscious body on the floor, "I'd say he did. You did a number on him Botan. You better hope he won't remember it tomorrow or you'll live to regret your actions."  
  
Botan laughs nervously, "Think we can trick him into thinking that he did it to himself?"  
  
"Not a chance."  
  
"Crap."  
  
Kurama opens Yusuke's sleeping bag & rolls Yusuke into it before zipping it up again. Botan gets into her sleeping bag & Kurama does the same after turning out the lights.  
  
"Goodnight Botan," Kurama says.  
  
Botan smiles in the dark, "'Night Kurama."  
  
Silence lasts for a moment before Botan giggles, "Well, I would wish Yusuke a good night if he was still conscious."  
  
Kurama chuckles, "Yes, me as well."  
  
It stays silent as the couple drift off to sleep, excited for the day ahead. 


	17. The Surprising Replacement ::bonus::

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
KopyKat: *dances for no apparent reason* "Christmas time is here & opening presents is only 3 days away for me!" *looks at empty stocking & face falls* "Looks like I'm not getting much this year though..." *looks at the empty space under the tree* =o.o=* "Please tell me we're getting presents. Usually there would be presents around by this time."  
  
Shinta: *smirks* "I think you deserve some coal in your stocking."  
  
KopyKat: *glares at him* "I think you deserve a little outfit downgrade. I wonder what I can do that'll make you look worse." *thinks* "Oh, I know! I could put you in a barrel!"  
  
Shinta: *blinks multiple times & flicks his canine ears to the side, smiling nervously* "No need to get rash, I was only kidding."  
  
KopyKat: "Just remember that I own you." *turns back to readers* "Sorry for wasting your time with this. Oh, and by unanimous decision with the whole Kuwabara deal, well, you'll find out the results."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Yusuke, wake up!" Botan shouts while shaking him. He doesn't wake up & she looks up at Kurama, "Kurama, he won't wake up. I didn't really do something bad when I hit him did I?"  
  
He stares at Yusuke for a moment before giving a slight smile, "I have an idea. I hope I'm right about this...."  
  
"Hey Yusuke! Keiko's at the door wearing a bikini!" the redhead shouts & Botan falls over anime style.  
  
Yusuke shoots up & glances around quickly, "Keiko?! In a BIKINI?!?! Where?!?!"  
  
Botan holds her stomach while laughing & Kurama can't hold his laughter in either, "S-sorry Yusuke, y-you wouldn't wake up!"  
  
Yusuke growls a bit before yawning, "Well, that was a nice sleep despite it being caused by BOTAN!"  
  
He glares at her & she smiles nervously, ~He remembers! I'm doomed!~  
  
Yusuke smirks, "I'll find SOME way to get you back Botan, just you wait."  
  
Kurama eyes him dangerously, "You hurt my fiancée, you will die. I would just like to make that clear to you."  
  
Yusuke looks insulted at this, "Who says that I'm going to hurt her?! You should know me, I don't fight girls & even if I did, Botan is a part of our group. The only person I ever hurt in our group is Kuwabara & he does things to really deserve it."  
  
Kurama nods, "I was just letting you know. Now, can we please get ready & out the door? The plane is scheduled to leave at 8:30."  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
They arrive at the airport with 40 minutes to spare & immediately make their way to the gates, having bought their tickets in advance. During their way, Yusuke & Botan begin bickering like mad. Kurama sees the gate ahead & stops suddenly, his eyes widened slightly. After nearly bumping into him, Yusuke & Botan notice his staring & try to see what was so interesting. They spotted the two people that they were least expecting: Kuwabara & Hiei.  
  
Kuwabara grins, "Hey you guys!"  
  
Yusuke looks at him, "And what the hell are you doing here idiot?"  
  
Kuwabara glares at him "Shut up Urameshi before I pummel your face in! I brought Hiei here 'cause he's going with you guys!"  
  
Kurama blinks & looks at Hiei, "Hiei, do you have a passport?"  
  
The fire demon digs around in one of his pockets & pulls out his passport. He flips it open to reveal all of the credentials & a photograph of him, "You mean this thing? The baka bought it for me & said that I should go with you to this 'Louisiana' place."  
  
Kurama takes the passport & looks at Hiei's picture, smiling suddenly, "You should have smiled Hiei, you'll scare people off with this photo."  
  
Hiei takes it back, "Hn. Shut up kitsune, smiling makes me look stupid & I'd rather look intelligent, unlike that idiot Kuwabaka."  
  
Kuwabara walks up to the two, looking confused, "Huh? I thought I just heard my name..."  
  
Kurama chuckles while Hiei crosses his arms & closes his eyes, "You truly are an idiot."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Kuwabara exclaims before growling, "You lil' punk, I'll get you for that!"  
  
"Cool it you two. The plane's gonna be leaving in about another..." Yusuke pauses to look at the nearest clock, "Another 8 minutes, so we need to get to the gate."  
  
Kuwabara grins, "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later. Don't worry runt, I'll take good care of your sword."  
  
Hiei growls at the title, "You better or I'll kill you when I get back."  
  
"And just what do you plan to do without your sword? I can match you with brute strength!"  
  
Hiei raises his right arm with the bandages & looks at Kuwabara with a look saying: -Did you forget about this?-  
  
Kuwabara laughs nervously, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that dragon thing. Ok, you win this time, but next time I, Kazuma Kuwabara, will claim victory over you-"  
  
"SHUT UP KUWABARA!!!" Yusuke shouts suddenly, getting his attention, "We've got to get going you idiot!"  
  
"Alright, see you guys later then!" Kuwabara says before walking down the crowded hallway.  
  
The remaining Urameshi team gets in line outside the gate as they begin letting passengers in. After getting inside the airplane, the seating arrangements are as follows: Kurama & Botan (window), right behind them were Hiei & Yusuke (window). This seemed like it was going to be a very eventful flight, especially since Yusuke had found out a way to get back at Botan. 


	18. Arrival in LA & Madman Driving ::bonus::

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
KopyKat: Fwee! I'm hyped up for some odd unknown reason. As I am typing this, it is 9:47 our time on January 6th. Not like you really needed to know that, but then you can get an idea of how fast it takes me to type a chapter. I had some bad writer's blocks & I don't think that this chapter will be any exception. Don't worry, I will try to get some good ideas & maybe even have some interesting moments with Hiei. He's fun to play with! Maybe we can get Hiei drunk at the French Quarter or something too. It's a fact that Yusuke would be drunk; he's a bit of a party animal! =^^= I'm supposed to be in bed in 10 minutes, but who really cares about that either? This is getting too long, so I'll shut up now. I just like the sound of the keys when I type fast for some odd unknown reason. Don't ask.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
+Attention passengers, please fasten your safety belt. We will be taking off momentarily,+ the captain says over the loudspeaker.  
  
Everyone follows & Hiei has trouble buckling himself since he's not accustomed to the 'contraption'. He does end up figuring it out though within a few moments, all while Yusuke laughs at him. He gives Yusuke a glare before glancing out of the window as the plane taxis onto the runway.  
  
Yusuke looks over at Hiei, grinning, "Get ready Hiei, we're going to be in for a rough ride for awhile."  
  
On cue, the plane's engines begin roaring & it shoots down the runway. Hiei grips the arms of the seat, leaning on the back of the chair like he was glued to it.  
  
Yusuke looks over at him, "Hiei, look out the window. We'll be leaving from the ground in a few seconds."  
  
The fire demon turns his head & looks out of the window. Just as the plane lifts up off of the ground, he feels like his stomach dropped a bit. Needless to say that this was a very new experience & a very weird one as well.  
  
All four of them look out the windows as they continue ascending into the sky. Hiei's ears begin to pop & Yusuke hands him a stick of chewing gum, "Chew this, it'll help with the popping a bit."  
  
Hiei does as he is told & the popping lessened slightly. He looks out the window for a few minutes before closing his eyes, finally beginning to relax, "This actually isn't too bad."  
  
Yusuke smirks suddenly, "Speaking of bad..."  
  
He leans back, puts his feet on the back of Botan's chair, and begins kicking. The ferrygirl bounces around a bit & then glares back at Yusuke, "Yusuke, would you knock that off? You're acting like a child!"  
  
Yusuke stops for a moment, grins at her, and continues with his kicking torture. Kurama peers around the corner of his seat at Yusuke, giving him a dangerous glare, "Yusuke, stop kicking the back of Botan's chair. You're making my seat vibrate a bit too."  
  
Yusuke sighs & stops, "Fine, but I really needed to get back at her from before."  
  
Hiei looks over at him with a dull gaze, "You're an idiot."  
  
"I know," Yusuke says with a cheesy grin. Hiei rolls his eyes before closing them again, slowly shaking his head.  
  
The rest of the plane ride for the most part was rather *cough* uneventful *cough*. There were a few more little 'moments' between Yusuke & Botan, but there was no bloodshed (thank goodness). During the night flight, Botan slept with her head on Kurama's arm. When he finally got sleepy after reading some interesting columns in a magazine, he put one of the airline's complimentary pillows (small things) on top of Botan's head & lies his head down on it. It was a 'kodak moment'.  
  
Yusuke began nodding off & when he finally slipped into unconsciousness, he accidentally fell over onto Hiei. Hiei growls & shoves Yusuke off of him forcefully, "Get off of me!"  
  
Yusuke instantly wakes up when his head hits the wall & he lets out a small yelp, clutching his head, "Damnit Hiei, it's not like I did it on purpose."  
  
"Well you should be more careful."  
  
"I was SLEEPING!!!"  
  
"So? If you ask me, that still doesn't give you an excuse."  
  
"WHO WAS ASKING YOU?!?!?!"  
  
"Quiet! We have some people trying to sleep!" a stewertess exclaims, glaring at them.  
  
They fall silent & give each other deadly glares instead. Having a peeved off spirit detective sitting next to a peeved fire demon did not bode well. They seemed to stay in that position for nearly an hour before the two of them dozed off.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
+Good morning everyone. We are now arriving in New Orleans (randomly). The temperature is 63 degrees & the weather is beautiful with few clouds. Please fasten your seat belts if you have not already done so & thank you for flying with us.+  
  
Hiei refastens his seat belt with less difficulty this time around while Yusuke mocks the captain.  
  
After landing, they unboard & look around. Oh yes, this place was a LOT different than home. For example, right across from where they exited the boarding ramp was a small bar with merry drunken people, enjoying a game on the television.  
  
They made their way down the semi-crowded hallways to find where the luggage pick-up was. Along the way, they passed at least 3 more bars.  
  
Yusuke grins after passing yet another one, "Oh yeah, I can tell that I'm gonna like it here! Bars around every corner!"  
  
Kurama sighs & shakes his head, "Really Yusuke, is that all you think about?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Shut up, I think the 'luggage pick-up' is this way," Hiei interrupts, pointing at an escalator heading down.  
  
Yusuke blinks, "What? How did you know Hiei? Your jagan eye's THAT good!?"  
  
Hiei rolls his eyes, "It's called 'reading the signs' you idiot. I don't need the jagan for that. You however need a brain."  
  
The two get into yet another argument & it takes both Botan & Kurama to separate them. They actually somehow make it to the baggage pick-up area without any deaths, fortunately.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Within the next 10 minutes, they were on a bus. Kurama was looking over a map of Louisiana & Hiei glances at the map over his shoulder, "What are you doing Kurama?"  
  
Kurama smiles back at him, "I have to find the stop that we should get off at to get to a car dealer. We do need a mode of transportation here."  
  
The fire demon rolls his eyes a bit before sitting back down, "This 'vacation' just keeps on getting more interesting..."  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
At the car dealers....  
  
"Enjoy the rest of your trip!" an employee says after giving Kurama the keys to a mini-van.  
  
Yusuke grins, "C'mon Kurama, fork 'em over! I wanna drive!"  
  
Kurama raises an eyebrow & eyes him questionably, "You can drive? LEGALLY?"  
  
Yusuke nods ecstatically before pulling his wallet out from the back pocket in his jeans. He flips it open & shows him his driver's license, "See?"  
  
Kurama closes his eyes, sighs, and holds the keys out, "Alright, just remember that this is New Orl-"  
  
He isn't able to finish when Yusuke swiftly grabs the keys dangling from Kurama's grasp & is in the driver's seat of the van in a flash.  
  
Both Botan & Hiei look over at Kurama, "Is it safe?"  
  
Kurama shrugs, "Only one way to find out..."  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
"YUSUKE! SLOW DOWN!!!" Botan screams only a few minutes later as Yusuke goes speeding down the streets of New Orleans.  
  
Yusuke doesn't seem to hear her as he makes a quick turn onto another street doing 60 (on the turn), causing the two right wheels to lift up. Some teenage boys playing some basketball with the goal on the curb manage to dive out of the way before they were going to be bowled over.  
  
Kurama looks out the rear window & sees the boys standing up, flicking Yusuke off. He smiles nervously (^_^;) before another sharp turn causes him to go colliding into Hiei.  
  
Hiei gives a sharp growl before glaring at Yusuke, baring his teeth, "Detective! Slow this damn thing down before I have to chop that empty head of yours off!"  
  
Yusuke puts on the brakes & everyone was glad that they had put their seat belts on. Stopping so suddenly while doing 85 can really do something to ya...  
  
He looks back at Hiei, "And just what are you planning on chopping my head off with? You left your katana back with turd-face."  
  
Hiei crosses his arms & gives another sharp growl before looking out of the window. Kurama smiles nervously, trying to get his heart back down to normal, "Might I suggest that I do the driving from now on?"  
  
He looks at something in the rear-view mirror before looking out the back window, spotting the boys from before with boards & bats. They were obviously not too happy about nearly getting killed...  
  
"And hurry," he adds, opening the door. The two perform a 'Chinese pit- stop' & Kurama quickly drives off, leaving the boys far behind. Everyone seems to breathe easier now that a madman wasn't behind the wheel anymore.  
  
Yusuke glares out his window, "No fair, I wanted to drive..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
KopyKat: Sorry for the delay. I've been very busy & haven't really been doing anything on ANY of my fics. Not to mention that I had serious writer's blocks. Since this part of the fic is kinda 'plot-less,' I decided to try & add some humor to spice it up a little. Sorry, these are just extra chapters with details on their little 'trip.' It'll give people a small idea of what it's like around where I live. I'm being truthful, I'm not trying to MAKE New Orleans seem bad. Anywayz, see you people later. Sayonara! 


End file.
